


Bind It With Silk and Barbed Wire

by Darksinokari (Darksinokaru)



Series: Bound In Silk and Barbed Wire [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Avalanche, Bottom Cloud, Crisis Core Sephiroth, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Flashbacks, Graphic Sex, Loosely follows events of the original game, M/M, Medical Situations, Mpreg, Omega Verse, Overcoming limits, Romance, Sane!Sephiroth, Seme Sephiroth, Sequel, Short-term domestic living, Some extremely heavy and upsetting stuff, The result of Canon Divergence, Top Sephiroth, Trauma, Uke Cloud, Warning: Hojo (Compilation of FFVII), additional warnings in the end chapter notes where needed, male omegas have outside male sex parts and female internal sex organs, more tags to be added as needed, to avoid spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:53:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25986967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksinokaru/pseuds/Darksinokari
Summary: Book 2: Bound In StrengthCloud and Sephiroth have finally settled down into the peaceful life they deserve, and while everything is picturesque and tranquil, trouble looms over the mated pair. Shadows of the past refuse to leave them be when Cloud begins to experience night terrors from the fragmented memories of his time of being experimented on by Hojo. Grappling with that while trying to deal with the damage to his reproductive system, Cloud finds solace in the beautiful moments he gets to experience with the person he loves most.But a promise to an old friend and righteous anger toward ShinRa propel the pair back into the streets of Midgar, vowing to stop the company once and for all.Sephiroth/Cloud
Relationships: Minor Zack/Aerith, Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Series: Bound In Silk and Barbed Wire [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874701
Comments: 129
Kudos: 233





	1. A New Start

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone who has clicked on this. If you are interested in this story, I would strongly recommend you read the previous installment, as it will become confusing if you don't since this is a direct sequel of a previous installment by the same name: [ Bind It With Silk and Barbed Wire.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24466264/chapters/59047453)
> 
> And thank you to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) for spotting all my weird sentences and comma abuse. Like really, I abuse commas. lol
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

The bay window opened to a view of weather worn rails belonging to a wood porch that wrapped around the side of the house to the front door. Past the porch which doubled as a balcony at the back of the house was the golden sand of the beach in the near distance, hugged by the swaying waves of the ocean. The living room was the largest room in the small home with a large doorway opening into the kitchen on the left, which also sported the inside entrance to the garage. On the right side of the living room was a door leading to a half bath, and a few feet passed that opened up a hallway which housed a large broom closet. At the end of the short hallway was the bedroom with another large window facing the beach with an en suite bathroom. Cloud stood at the bay window, hand pressed to the dusty, scratched wood frame of the window and stared at the mass of water lapping at the beach.

“It will need some TLC,” the blonde muttered as the sound of heavy boots echoed across the wood floorboards of the empty room, echoing loudly with nothing to absorb the sound, even Cloud’s soft voice had echoed.

“It does have a two car garage, which is a steal considering the price,” his mate said as he approached the blonde from behind and settled his hands on his shoulders. Cloud continued to stare out at the ocean.

“I’ve never even seen the ocean before,” the blonde muttered before a chin pressed into the soft spikes of his hair.

“We can always walk down there before you make your decision,” the silverette said. Cloud shook his head.

“Two car garage, spacious living room and bedroom, and this view, it’s perfect,” the blonde said.

“So you don’t mind some home improvement then?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde shook his head slowly, still transfixed by the waves and small bodies of people walking along or laying on the beach.

“You’re talking to a not just a country boy, but a mountain one. A little home repair doesn’t ruin a deal unless it’s more than we can afford. The only thing I’m really worried about are the pipes, never messed with them,” Cloud muttered. A hum flowed from his mate’s lips in thought as his hands slid down the blonde’s arms.

“We can call a home appraiser and plumber to take a look,” Sephiroth offered and finally, Cloud pulled his eyes from the view and turned in the silverette’s arms until he could look up at his face.

“Let’s save money and just call a plumber. I can inspect the rest of the house. After every winter in Nibelheim we had to examine and repair any damage to our homes. I know what I’m looking for,” Cloud insisted and Sephiroth chuckled as he grabbed his mate’s upper arms again and dipped down while the blonde lifted his chin and their lips met with a chaste kiss.

“If this is what you want, then we’ll get it. I’m not worried about cost. There was a reason I drained my bank accounts before deserting,” Sephiroth whispered when they separated and an off kilter smile curved Cloud’s lips.

“Flashing that fat cash, huh?” the blonde teased as he turned around in his mate’s hands before arms wrapped around him and the silverette’s chin rested in his hair again.

“Actually, the foundation and that porch are the most concerning to me next to the roof right now, since we’re calling a plumber,” Cloud announced before gently slipping from his mate’s arms and walking back across the main room, passing by the brick fireplace as he headed towards the front door before looking back at the silverette. “I’m gonna look and see if anything is cracked or leaning.” With that the blonde pushed the polished oak door open, the sun glinting off of the stained glass window of a rose pieced through the middle of the door before stepping out and closing it behind him, finding the door needing some lifting and pressing of the thumb latch on the keyed handleset to get the door to click closed. A chuckle rumbled in Sephiroth’s chest as he turned from the scene and wandered into the hall. So, door repair and perhaps a replacement for the front door lock. Sephiroth passed the broom closet and stood in the center of the bedroom, it was well lit thanks to the large window facing the ocean, while remnants of a plastered over fireplace bulged from the wall opposite the door, no doubt to increase the space of the room.

The silverette turned to the right of the doorway and entered through the large entryway of the bathroom, pausing briefly to pull on the sliding door that separated the room before pushing it back in and leaning against the large granite sink, adjusting the large ebony wing sprouting from the right side of his spine before his shoulder blade as he did so. Clearly this home had once been intended for wealth and prestige, and it made the former General wonder why it had become so cheap. Though, anywhere ShinRa tended to stick their fingers in property values declined in any city area. The large homes surrounding the coastal tourist destination were probably where all the wealth and luxury lived these days. The bathtub was a large triangular tub nestled into the corner of the bathroom by a glass-walled shower. Whoever last updated the home had apparently put most of their concern into the bathroom since the kitchen was nice, but hardly anything that spoke of affluence. Which was probably one reason why the home was cheaper than expected, updated kitchens could be quite the price hike. Boots thumped in echo towards him and Sephiroth looked up to see his mate walk through the bedroom curiously before he spotted him through the entry and walked over.

“Foundation looks really good actually, and no leaning porch, not even the part overhanging the hill, well, I guess that’s where you can debate if it's a deck or not,” Cloud said with a shrug.

“Satisfied then?” the Sephiroth asked and the blonde nodded with a small smile.

“Yeah, I think we can handle what work this place needs. Other than getting bare minimum care, it’s actually pretty sturdy. I checked all the walls outside the house too, though I didn’t get up to the roof,” Cloud informed and the silverette chuckled.

“The roof, I can do. The one thing I learned in Nibelheim was how to spot check and repair roofs,” Sephiroth informed and a small smirk quirked the blonde’s lips.

“What happens in a small mountain town far from civilization,” Cloud quipped.

“So then, Costa Del Sol, the place you want to lay roots?” the silverette asked as his mate crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight onto one leg, prompting his left hip to push out to the side.

“Well, I am bothered that ShinRa comes around here, but it’s pretty much only for vacation,” Cloud muttered with a purse of his lips.

“Indeed. Luckily, whenever ShinRa comes here there’s always a lot of noise since the town prepares for it. Which means we’ll know when to avoid being seen, though I think the one really in need of taking care is me. Unless Hojo should ever come,” Sephiroth said with a smile and a snort of bitter laughter came from his mate.

“Right, Hojo, taking a vacation. And on a beach at that. I don’t know if I ever met the guy or not, but it doesn’t seem like something an evil scientist would do,” Cloud said, prompting a chuckle from the silverette.

“Agreed,” Sephiroth said as he pushed from the sink and walked up to his mate, his gloved right hand lifting and stroking down the side of his mate’s face with the back of it.

“Shall we talk to the Realtor then?” he asked and the blonde nodded.

“Yeah, I’m tired of traveling. And it seems nice and quiet on this little hill, perfect for starting our new lives,” Cloud said before pausing when he started to turn. Sephiroth’s hands had wrapped around him and he was pulled into a hug from behind.

“This will be our new home,” Sephiroth said, voice soft and confident. His mate’s right hand lifted and his hand wrapped around his mate’s powerful forearm.

“Yeah,” Cloud agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so short. lol But, I just really liked that ending for some reason.


	2. The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth have their first night in their new home and Cloud tries to distract his mate into staying up all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much who have migrated over here. And thank you so much to everyone who's left support on this new adventure for Cloud and Sephiroth through kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions. I hope everyone enjoys all that I have planned! Thank you all so much!
> 
> This chapter is currently unbeta'd, but that will be rectified soon and be updated with the beta'd version.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys!

The house was purchased for 50,000,000 gil, cheap for the area but loads more expensive than the measly 7,500,000 it would cost to buy an admittedly larger home back in Nibelheim, and still cheaper that Sephiroth’s old 97,000,000 apartment in Midgar. The electricity, water, and gas could only be turned on the next day despite their payments to turn it on, and so the duo spent their first night in the main room in their couple’s sleeping bag, illuminated by the lantern that had lit up their tent during nearly pitch black nights. Cloud lay on his back after finding the floor too hard on his hip with his mate on his side curled around him, a hand on his stomach while the other folded up behind his head.

“I’m going to miss the stars overhead at night,” Cloud said as he let his head lull towards his mate who lay still, eyes closed as his hair fell over his shoulders between them and no doubt behind his back where his wing had gone lax across the floor. When the silverette laughed a puff of breath caressed the blonde’s face while his wing could be heard shifting across the floor. 

“Can always go camping from time to time,” Sephiroth offered.

“That’d be cool. Could never camp in Nibelheim, the wolves were too much of a threat,” Cloud said as he relaxed against the built in, hardly plump pillow. “Camping was fun, but it does get old after a while.” the blonde added and the silverette’s head moved in a slow, lazy nod as his wing pulled to his back before dropping again. A small smirk quirked Cloud’s lips.

“Ever gonna figure out if you can keep it folded in your sleep?” he asked and a snort came from Sephiroth as his eyes slid open while the feathered appendage moved again.

“Well, since I’m not allowed to cut it off you’ll have no choice but to deal with its inconveniences,” his mate griped while Cloud’s smile grew, prompting the silverette’s eyes to narrow at him. “Don’t enjoy my suffering.” The blonde couldn’t stop from his smile splitting into a wide grin as a pout pursed his mate’s lips while the silverette sat up and hovered him, long moonlight lengths of hair falling over the smaller of the two. Cloud reached his hands up and cupped Sephiroth’s cheeks, thumbs brushing the firm, pale skin. Those exotic cat-like gaze slid to the blonde’s full, pink lips before the silverette pressed his left arm to the other side of Cloud’s body, boxing him in while the blonde lifted his chin. Sephiroth’s head angled as he leaned down until their mouths met in a soft press of lips, once, twice. While their lips repeatedly pressed Cloud to spread his legs which the silverette moved in between as their mouths parted and sealed together as warmth swelled their cocks and the scent of arousal filled the air. Tongues slid together, curling and stroking as jaw’s worked together as their eyes drifted closed and breath puffed from their noses hard with the increasing rate of their heartbeats. The blonde slid his hands to Sephiroth’s back, fingers sliding against where the plumage of his mate’s wing had ripped through his coat, delighting in the satiny feel of the feathers against his skin before sliding his hands down the tight, slim slope of his waist. The silverette broke the kiss as their eyes slid open and locked. 

“Want to?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde nodded as he pulled his hands forward to the front of his mate’s coat, a small twitch hitting the corner of his lips.

“Gonna fight this thing off?” Cloud asked and an unimpressed huff met the blonde’s question as the silverette got off of him and sat on his legs as he started to work the coat off his shoulders, revealing the glint of the wolf pendant on his chest as the right side of his coat hung up on his wing.

“You don’t need to remind me of that,” Sephiroth said as the blonde sat up, watching him pull the entirety of his coat to his right side once it was off his shoulders and began to carefully work the heavy leather material down the length of his wing as he spread the limb out just enough to aid in his clothing removal.

“You got so mad though,” Cloud said as he watched, looking to the wall on his right where his mate’s wing could probably touch if stretched to its full height. In total Sephiroth’s wing was about seven feet, enormous, but it explained how he was able to fly with it, and why it was so difficult for his mate to not let it drag on the ground.

“Yes, well, this is tedious,” Sephiroth answered. Cloud’s fingers twitched, wanting to help, but he could still remember how frustrated his mate had been the last time he’d tried to take his coat off. It had actually been a little scary, the blonde had never seen the silverette angry before. Insane, yes, irritated, yes, but straight up angry, not until that moment. With petulance Sephiroth had declared outside their tent that evening that his jacket would be stuck to him forever and threw a small vocal fit; the reaction had been deafening. Cloud couldn’t help suspecting it had to do with the fact that his mate had contempt for the limb when he was in a good mood, which meant having it inconvenience him would rile up a nasty response. He was probably also aggravated by the fact that they had been going to have sex, and as an alpha affected by his omegas sexual pheromones he wanted to act on their mutual desires rather than fight with his coat. Eventually they did it get off and it had taken some convincing to get the silverette put his coat on the following morning so that he wasn’t driving around with only a pair of pants and boots. For the first time Sephiroth hadn’t seemed so absolutely perfect, and it was humbling in a way, to see his mate as someone who could be imperfect once in a while. Well, in a normal and relatable way, since Jenova’s influence on him would certainly be considered a flaw. 

The coat carefully slid off the wing before being tossed and the silverette heaved a relieved sigh from where he sat on his knees. Cloud leaned up and lifted his hands to cup his mate’s face, bringing their gazes to each other.

“You know, we could maybe have your clothes altered. Like, have a seamstress make a seam down the right shoulder for your wing and I dunno, have one of those large snap buttons on the shoulder, to close it. That’d be easier, right?” the blonde asked as a smiled curved Sephiroth’s lips.

“I have no idea what you just said. But if you’ve got ideas, I am all for it,” the silverette said, voice light and pleasant again as it rumbled low over the blonde before he dipped his head down and their lips sealed. Hands immediately roamed as clothes were pulled away and tossed across the floorboards until they were naked and Cloud was straddling Sephiroth’s lap, hard cock pressed against his mate’s stomach while the silverette’s pressed between the globes of his wet ass. Sephiroth’s hands slid up the blonde’s thighs from his knees, delighting in the energetic twitches he felt in the muscles as Cloud’s right hand wrapped around his leaking cock and gave it a squeeze.

“Seph, let’s start already,” the blonde panted, heart thrumming fast with the hot pulses of his dick sparking pleasured lust through him.

“So impatient,” the silverette said and Cloud’s lips pursed as his brows tightened.

“Please,” the blonde begged and a chuckle issued from his mate. “It’s been a week since we last did it,” Cloud said, eager as he released his dick and wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck.

“You were the one complaining about being tired,” Sephiroth reminded and the blonde’s expression tightened. 

“I’m still in recovery, remember? And I’m not tired right now,” Cloud countered and another chuckle was his reward.

“Okay, okay. Time to get this cute Chocobo what he needs,” Sephiroth teased and the blonde glared slightly as the silverette’s hands grabbed both sides of his ass and lifted him up. “You’ll have to help me, sweet Chocobo.”

“Call me that again and I’ll kick you, just like a real Chocobo,” Cloud informed despite the small twitch he felt in his lips as he slid his left hand behind him and groped blindly for a second until he grazed the heavy head of his mate’s cock and slid his hand around it before gently pushing it up until the leaking tip pressed against his wet hole. Sephiroth leaned back a little, pulling the blonde up more before allowing his powerful arms to gently ease the blonde down onto his cock. A low groan of pleasure rumbled from the silverette’s throat as the pressure of Cloud’s tight muscles pressed down on and then broke apart on the head of his cock, allowing the tight squeeze of slick muscles to stroke him. 

The blonde took in a deep breath and released it as he angled his hips slightly forward, allowing Sephiroth’s throbbing dick slide in easier, a hitch catching his breath when the head brushed against his prostate while a low breath of pleasure issued from above him. After a brief pause Cloud released his grip on the mate’s cock and wrapped both arms around the silverette’s neck as Sephiroth’s hands eased him down, sliding his cock in deeper, filling him up and shaping his insides to that of his mate’s dick. Only when he was fully seated did the blonde wrap his legs around the silverette’s hips while the silverette’s hands stabilized his grip on the soft flesh of his mate’s ass. Their eyes met, breaths ragged in pleasure before Sephiroth dipped his head down and their lips met for a chaste kiss before breaking contact.

“I love you, Cloud,” the silverette whispered and a smile curved Cloud’s lips.

“Yeah, you too,” the blonde said, his heart surging in his chest for a brief moment, and perhaps his mate spotted the awkward look in his eyes due to the chuckle that reverberated from within his chest. Cloud’s lips were kissed again, tongues briefly slipping together before they broke apart as Sephiroth’s powerful arms hefted his undernourished mate up his cock. Both groaned in warm, sparking pleasure as Cloud was allowed to slide down, once again filling him deep before the silverette slid him up again and the blonde’s thin arms shook with effort to get him to move faster.

“Calm down, Cloud. I don’t want to hurt you,” the silverette admonished lightly and Cloud grunted in discontent.

“If you’re going to go so slow, then put me on my back,” the blonde said and a chuckle issued from Sephiroth. 

“It’s so adorable, I really love how impatient you are,” the silverette teased and Cloud’s faced pinched a little right before his lips were given a surprise kiss and the blonde found himself pressed to his mate’s chest as his body went backward until his shoulders hit the sleeping bag.

“Happy now, my demanding little lover?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud heaved a sigh as he pressed his ankles against the silverette’s lower backside before a smirk cracked his lips in the lantern light.

“Gotta satisfy me, don’t you?” Cloud asked in a cocky voice and his mate chuckled as the blonde’s back settled onto the sleeping bag before Sephiroth’s cock slid back and thrust in hard, tearing a gasped moan from the Cloud’s throat as his back twitched, dick giving a hard pulse from the shot of pleasure. 

“Well then, how about you let me know when I do,” the silverette quipped breathlessly, and the blonde groaned as he attempted to thrust back on his mate, but failed to do so. 

“Haha,” Cloud breathed before his mate’s cock slid back, drawing breathy groans of pleasure from both before the hard strike against his prostate on the return tore a loud moan out from the blonde’s stretched neck. Sephiroth picked up speed, indulging the both of them in the deep boiling tension of pleasure, picking their way toward orgasm. Cloud’s hands grabbed the silverette’s shoulders as he bucked and a growl rumbled from deep in his mate’s throat before the silverette’s hands slid to the blonde’s hips and grabbed tight before leaning back on his knees pumping his dick passionately inside the blonde. Moans spilled into the air, loud across the empty walls of the main room of the house as Sephiroth’s ragged, pleasure twisted pants of breath increased with the urgent thrusts of his hips as orgasm boiled hotter. Tension wound tighter, more desperate between the two as Cloud’s legs tensed, feet and toes curling as his back twisted, his bouncing, leaking cock pulsing maddeningly hot with each rough thrust of cock.

“Se-Seph, ah!” Sephiroth’s slit pupils blew open wide as he watched his mate’s sweaty chest arch, outlined by the contrast of the lamp light and the darkness of the room as his voice crackled into the air, cum shooting from his twitching cock to his chest as his hole gushed fluid and clenched around his dick. The silverette’s fingers dug in deep, cock punching mindlessly into the tight, massaging grip of Cloud’s ass before he slammed himself in deep and tensed. Sephiroth’s wing flew open violently as a low, rumbling moan hit the air while the silverette’s head fell back and cum exploded from his dick into the eager body of his mate. As orgasm bled from the two, their bodies slowly relaxed until the silverette allowed himself to released Cloud and fall to his side before pulling his wing against his back so that he could finally, lay on his back. Cloud was almost immediately on top of him, straddling his mate as he pressed eager kissed to his lips which the silverette returned.

“Let’s go again,” the blonde panted when he broke the kiss and Sephiroth gave the blonde a short stare before he sat up again and wrapped his arms around Cloud’s bony shoulders.

“While I love having sex with you, especially since we’re not using condoms, but I don’t appreciate having my sex abused, Cloud,” the silverette said, voice a low, gentle rumble despite the chastisement of his words. The blonde’s eyes rounded a little before his expression fell and he looked away, arms falling away to his sides from where he sat in his mate’s lap.

“That’s not-”

“You don’t want to sleep,” the silverette cut in and Cloud’s lips pursed as his brow twisted in discomfort. He lips parted to say something, but then closed. “You need to sleep, Cloud. Even if it’s in short bursts, your brain needs it.”

“I know,” the blonde said, upset. 

“If you need me, I’ll be right here,” Sephiroth said and though frustration twisted his mate’s face, he heaved a loud sigh and nodded.

“You won’t go anywhere will you? Not until I wake up?” Cloud asked. 

“I learned my lesson last time. I will be right here,” the silverette assured. After a tense moment of silence the blonde moved, pushing out of his mate’s lap and laid down on his spot in the couple’s sleeping bag. Appearing satisfied, Sephiroth carefully maneuvered himself as he too laid down on his right side and curled around his mate, one arm sliding beneath his head while another rest over the blonde’s stomach, as was so common for him. Cloud lay on his side, tension in his body and working through the inner recesses of his mind. He didn’t want to sleep. But, he also knew he had to, and after a while, his eyes closed without his even realizing it as exhaustion numbed him to sleep.

~~~~

It was dark, pitch black, and he couldn’t move, but sensation smothered him. He was on something cold and hard, and something was pinned over his forehead, stomach, and wrists. His legs were off of whatever he was on, pinned up in the air by something at the back of his vertical feet and wrapped around his ankles. Stirrups?

“The specimen is taking well to Project S’s cells. But it’s showing some sensitivity to mako.”

“We can’t wait anymore. We’ll begin the test. Inject the specimen with the sample.” Cloud gasped, his heart kicking off into a frantic race, which triggered a rapid beep to his right.

“The specimen is awake.”

“He’s been stopped, it won’t matter.” 

Cloud trembled, his eyes burned as his breath came in shrill and ragged. What was happening? Where was he? Something pressed against his hole and the blonde’s mind frayed apart. His mouth wouldn’t open even though he desperately tried to force it; he couldn’t scream, he couldn’t even get enough air. Whatever it was that pressed inside him was ice cold and hard, almost sharp for the way it forced his muscles open before sliding in deep. It hurt, it cut, but he couldn’t stop it, he could even tense his muscles to try and stop it. And then there was a loud bang and a hard jerk of whatever it was, like something had pistoned against him and pain seared through his lower abdomen like acid as his lungs seized.

“Injection successful.” A male voice somewhere just off to the side said and Cloud struggled to find a way to breath, to make the burning burn in his lungs stop as they screamed for air, but the searing pain in his abdomen rushed over him, stealing everything, every thought, and his very breath until he drowned in darkness.

~~~

Cloud’s eyes slid open and he groaned as his left hand slid down and rubbed his lower abdomen before he sat up, causing Sephiroth’s arm to slump off of him. The silverette stirred with the movement as the blonde took a deep inhale through the nose and wiped at the water on his cheeks even as a trembling pain filled his chest.

“Cloud?” his mate asked as his hand settled on his mate’s shoulders. Cloud shook his head, shoulders drawing inward into himself as his chin tucked into his chest. 

“Another bad dream?” Sephiroth asked and slowly, the blonde lifted his head enough to nod. 

“Why won’t you tell me about them?” the silverette asked and Cloud shook his head again as his mate slid in behind him, wrapped his arms around him and pulled the blonde into lap so that he could rest his head against his chest. 

“If you told me, it might make you feel better,” Sephiroth suggested.

“No, I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it. Please,” Cloud’s voice broke apart, distorted with a sob as his heart squeezed in pain before he turned in the silverette’s lap and pressed his wet face into his mate’s chest as quivering worked through his muscles as the rolling burn beneath his skin flared hotter. Sephiroth’s hands moved, one settling onto the blonde’s hair while the other began to rub down his bare, sweaty back.

“It hurts,” Cloud blubbered as he squeezed his eyes shut, shaking hand forming a fist over his abdomen.

“Where?” Sephiroth asked softly.

“Everywhere. All the time. I don’t know what to do to make it stop,” the blonde sobbed, the quivering in his muscles intensifying. The silverette’s lips dipped into a low frown as his brows drew up in dismay as he huddled over Cloud, wrapped his arms around the blonde’s frame and hugged him tight as he used his feet to rock them gently back and forth. 

“We’ll see a doctor tomorrow.”


	3. TLC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth get to work. Well, mostly Cloud, Sephiroth just looks for the fridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much to everyone reading! And thank you so much to everyone who's left support on this new adventure for Cloud and Sephiroth through kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions. Thank you all so much!
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) who pointed out all of the confusing moments and my abuse of commas.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Cloud was sat at a little cafe table outside the establishment corded off from the main road, sipping his iced water while he watched his mate make his way back from the bathroom inside the building through the large panes of glass. Once Sephiroth was outside in the eating area they shared a smile before he sat down and pulled his wing to lay over the back of the chair while ignoring some of the staring he got as he did so.

“Well, I see our food hasn’t arrived,” the silverette said and Cloud nodded as he pushed Sephiroth’s lemonade toward him, which his mate took and pressed the lip of the glass to his lips.

“We’ll need a fridge immediately I think, along with some kitchenware, again,” Sephiroth said in note and the blonde stared for a brief moment.

“Again? You never had any,” Cloud stated and the silverette gave the blonde a lingering look before he placed the glass down on the smooth surface of the table.

“Actually, I did buy some, but I had to leave it all behind when I left to find you,” Sephiroth explained and a frown dipped the blonde’s lips as his brow creased.

“I was there?” he asked and his mate gave a solitary nod.

“Not in person, since it was on the last day of your heat,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud’s eyes fell to the table, tension winding through his shoulders.

“Something else I can’t remember, cuz I remember nothing about anything kitchen related other than the fact that you had, like, nothing,” the blonde said. The silverette’s hand stretched across the small round surface and brushed his fingers against the side of his mate’s face, drawing mako blue eyes up to look at him.

“It’s okay. We barely did anything with it,” Sephiroth said and a pleading look crossed Cloud’s face.

“Did I ever cook?” he asked and his mate nodded.

“Yes, you did. And you will be able to once again. Though, since I’m not sure what our job situation will be, I may end up being home often enough to help,” the silverette said with a smile, “If I don’t get in your way that is,” he added and a small, awkward twitch hit Cloud’s lips, but not enough to actually move the muscles to draw an actual smile. The blonde nodded then, looked down, and pressed the straw from his water to his lips before taking another long sip to distract himself as he pulled away from his mate’s hand. Sephiroth’s smile dropped as he regarded his mate for a long moment before parting his lips to speak.

“Ready to go to the doctor after this?” he asked. Cloud looked up at him then and released the straw before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his stomach while averting his gaze. That wasn’t a good sign.

“No, I’m okay now,” the blonde muttered and Sephiroth stared at him for a long moment, deliberating on his next words.

“You said you were in pain Cloud, all the time, remember?” the silverette reminded. Cloud was silent for a long moment, tension working through his body as his right hand settled over his abdomen, which drew his mate’s eyes to the area.

“Cloud?”

“It’s fine now. It’s the mako, you know. Sometimes it just burns, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” the blonde answered and dubious eyes lifted to the blonde’s profile, clearly his words and actions were telling different stories.

“And your belly feels fine?” Sephiroth asked and the hand moved away from the area.

“It only hurts after the nightmares, and only sometimes during the day. It’s just psychological. I can work through it,” Cloud insisted and after a moment his mate heaved an exasperated sigh when their waitress stepped outside with two plates of food that she carried directly to their table.

“Chicken fries steak and eggs?” the brunette asked and Cloud looked up and straightened his posture, which the waitress caught as a signal and placed the plate in front of him. “So then, the chorizo and egg scramble for you,” she said as she slid the plate down in front of Sephiroth who pulled his hands from the table to make room. The woman smiled at the two of them and placed the check down on the table.

“Let me know if you need anything,” she said before looking across their drinks which were still nearly full, and left with another smile. The two remained sat, somber tension in the air between them.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth said, drawing the blonde’s hesitant gaze up toward him and their eyes met. “If the pain gets bad, I want you to tell me. And if I find for any reason you seem unwell and refuse to talk to me, I will take you to the doctor kicking and screaming if I have to,” the silverette informed and a look of anger crossed the blonde’s face. A small grimace could barely be seen in the muscles of Sephiroth’s expression as he grabbed his silverware to begin eating. “I know that’s upsetting to hear, but I think you’re being very foolish right now. I’m not sure why you’re being so stubborn about all this, but you must think about it from my perspective,” Sephiroth explained in a low, grave tone. “The person you love is in pain and suffering from something that you can’t see. Yet this person that you love refuses your help, forcing you to just watch them suffer. That’s cruel, Cloud, don’t you think?” he informed in blunt, clear cut truth. Cloud frowned, forehead creasing in distress as he lowered his face to his plate and stared at his food with his hands in his lap.

As much as the blonde didn’t want to admit it, Sephiroth was right. If it were the other way around he’d be getting frustrated and mad, and probably get way louder about it than his mate, who was handling it all with such careful calm. Cloud didn’t like hearing that he’d have his agency taken from him; but of course, thinking about it, it made sense. He’d have done whatever it took to save Sephiroth from Jenova, no matter how much his mate really hadn’t wanted him too. He had been forceful himself with the silverette when he took him away from that place, even if the stabbing had been accidental. The blonde looked up at his mate, watching him chew as the prominent muscle in his temple flexed with every bite he made as he stared at his plate in thought.

“Okay,” Cloud said and Sephiroth paused before he looked up at the blonde and their eyes met once again. “I’ll tell you if it’s ever bad. And I’ll… I’ll talk about the dreams. Just, not right now. Tonight, after we do some shopping, otherwise I’m going to be depressed and it’ll ruin the whole day,” Cloud informed and a gentle nod shifted Sephiroth’s head.

“Okay then,” the silverette answered before a small smile curved his lips. “We’re a unit, right?” The blonde nodded as he finally lifted his hands to the table and grabbed his silverware.

“Yeah,” he answered. After that the two ate in relative silence, and when they finished, Sephiroth paid and the two stepped out onto the main road of little Costa Del Sol.

“Well, we agree on the kitchen?” the silverette asked.

“A mattress at least too. The floor is too hard,” the blonde said before he quickly looked up at his mate. “Wait, I want to wax the floors,” Cloud said quickly and the silverette quirked a brow at him.

“Wax? Wood?” the silverette repeated and the blonde chuckled a little.

“Yeah. I scratched at the floor this morning, and since it smudged, it means the floor was waxed. I want to go over it before we bring anything in,” Cloud said and a low chuckle issued from his mate.

“All right then, we’ll head to the hardware store up the hill. After that, we will get a fridge and mattress. Though Cloud, you do realize that moving in will likely harm the floor,” Sephiroth said.

“Only if we just drag everything across the floor. A dolly can be used for a lot of stuff you know,” Cloud shot back and his mate chuckled, a smile growing on his face as he lifted his right hand to his forehead and shook his head.

“All right, well, I clearly am the ignorant one here, so I will defer to you,” Sephiroth said and the blonde smiled. After that the duo made their way to the not so tourist-centric part of the town and inside the hardware store. Cloud picked out a reputable brand of wood wax finish, a stripping agent, a floor and wall duster, two large paint pads with some replacement pads while Sephiroth chose a steam mop coupled with a standard one at the blonde’s behest. Briefly they paused at the refrigerators before an antsy blonde pulled his mate from the section so that he could get to work on the floors.

“We’ll be coming back here again,” Sephiroth said knowingly and Cloud laughed as they paid and exited the building. Once back at the house the silverette tested the light switch by the front door and both looked up when the built in ceiling light flashed on, bathing the room in dim light.

“Seems our utilities are on now,” Sephiroth noted and the blonde’s smile grew as he walked into the kitchen and placed their bags and tools down on the tiled floor.

“You can look for a fridge while I do this part, it’s going to take a while,” Cloud said as he walked out of the kitchen and looked each other in the face before the silverette walked over the distance between them and slid his hands around his mate’s sides.

“You don’t mind? Or want to help me pick one out?” Sephiroth asked. The blonde ran his hands up his mate’s strong arms and angled his head back to keep eye contact with the silverette.

“I know so little about technology, being a backward hic and all that. I trust you’ll choose wisely. For me it’s good as long as it’s cold,” Cloud said and though Sephiroth seemed to hesitate a moment, he finally gave a nod.

“All right, I’ll do that. They deliver and install, which I think I will have done,” the silverette informed and the blonde nodded.

“Sure, I might be stripping when it comes, but that’s what the garage door is for,” Cloud said and his mate nodded.

“All right,” Sephiroth agreed and after a chaste press of lips, the two separated. The silverette walked to the front door and paused, watching his mate as he walked across the barren space toward their sleeping bag and rolled it up before carrying it to the left where the kitchen was. With a small nod, he opened the door and stepped out.

After dusting the hardwood Cloud mopped the water diluted stripping agent into the floors with all windows open and was just finishing when Sephiroth returned from his trip to the store, the smell of which prompted the silverette to stop and sniff the air.

“Perhaps we should have bought face masks,” Sephiroth said and the blonde nodded with a shrug mixed in as backed up to the door, still mopping the solution into the floor before taking the tool out with him and closing the door. Outside, Cloud looked up at his mate.

“When’s the fridge coming?” he asked.

“At three, so you’ve got five hours to finish all that you’re doing,” the silverette informed as the blonde carried the mop off the wrap around porch, dropped it to the sidewalk and leaned the shaft against the railing.

“I’m only going to be stripping today. And I checked the bedroom just to be sure because the wood looked a little different, and for some reason it’s laminated. I’m guessing they replaced the floor in there and just laminated it. And it’s in really good shape so I won’t bother it,” Cloud said before looking up the porch steps to where the silverette still stood, looking oddly amused.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just enjoy seeing you being so confident in yourself,” Sephiroth said and Cloud felt his cheeks warm as he batted his eyes away, awkward as he turned his face to the side.

“Well, let’s go look for a mattress while I wait for the stripping agent to do it’s thing,” the blonde muttered as his mate locked the door with his key, pocketed it, and stepped off the wrap around porch that curved around the right side of the house and stopped by Cloud.

“Shall we then? Back up the hill?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde nodded with a slight roll of his eyes.

“Up the hill, up the hill,” Cloud grumbled and a chuckle fluttered into his ears from the silverette as an arm wrapped around his waist and the two walked off their new property.


	4. Home is Where Love Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth work together on their new home and make some good use of their new bathtub. And there's some more wing hating, can't forget that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much to everyone reading! And thank you so much to everyone who's left support on this new adventure for Cloud and Sephiroth through kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions. Thank you all so much!
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) who pointed out all of the confusing moments and my abuse of commas.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Once inside the mattress store Sephiroth had ended up pestered by one of the workers who kept requesting he remove his wing accessory, which grew into a tense confrontation that Cloud had found himself mediating as he attempted to explain that the wing wasn’t a prop. But after a few tense moments and the clear build of anger in his mate, the owner of the store made the employee stand down. And so the blonde now laid down on his back, feet still on the floor as he gazed up at the silverette while he sat down. There was still a brood on his face and the occasional cold stare at the blonde employee that was now avoiding them while scurrying after other customers.

“Let it go, Seph,” Cloud said as he lifted his hand and patted his mate’s arm. Sephiroth’s eyes slid down to the blonde’s face, softening when caught in his gaze.

“I will not tolerate being accosted because of this damn thing everywhere I go, Cloud,” the silverette said, glaring over at the limb for a moment before looking back at the blonde.

“I’m gonna take the same stance as my mom. You can’t mutilate yourself,” Cloud said and his mate heaved a sigh.

“I know,” Sephiroth said in a dreary tone before he laid on his side by the blonde and stared at his face while propping his head on his hand. “So, how’s this one?”

“Too soft,” Cloud muttered as he sat up and glanced around the store while the silverette did the same.

“Then let’s look around since I’m sure we’ll be given a wide berth the rest of our visit,” Sephiroth said, a sting of irritation to his words at the mention, and the blonde chuckled softly as he stood up, his mate following suit.

“Come on, there were some that bragged about being firm and temperature regulating,” Cloud said as he grabbed the silverette’s hand and proceeded to tote him around the store. After roughly a forty minute look and test, Sephiroth let the blonde choose one of the pricier mattresses with the promise of its long life and how attractive temperature regulation was to both given the warm climate they had moved into. Though they’d been given the option for delivery, Sephiroth had hefted the large thing up on his arm like a lumberjack and the Cloud couldn’t decide if it looked cool or dorky as they walked back down the hill toward the house. When they reached their property the blonde pulled open the garage door and the plastic wrapped mattress stored by the far wall while Cloud used his copy of the front door key to open the barrier and look inside at the floors. Cloud then used the garage door to enter the kitchen and grabbed his tools to scrub off the wax while the silverette drew up behind him and settled his hands onto his shoulders.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help? It looks like a lot of work,” Sephiroth asked and the blonde turned a grin up toward his mate’s face.

“You want wax on your wing?” Cloud asked and the silverette’s expression soured as the limb’s feathers puffed slightly when it twitched. With another bothered sigh, Sephiroth directed his attention toward the kitchen window facing the front of the house.

“Fine, I’ll check the roof. I can do that at least,” the silverette grunted and Cloud chuckled, which earned him a half-hearted glare.

“You got a ladder? We don’t have one yet,” the blonde teased and Sephiroth turned a smirk to his mate, finally seeing an apparent chance to look a little cocky. With a slight sway of the feathered appendage that drew the blonde’s eyes away for a second before their gazes locked again and Cloud’s face warmed a little.

“I don’t need one,” Sephiroth said and the blonde shook his head, feeling a little dumb before he paused and focused on the silverette’s face.

“Wait, I thought you couldn’t fly?” Cloud asked.

“I practiced when you were sleeping while we traveled,” the silverette informed before chuckling at the surprised look on his mate’s face. “Couldn’t have my bond see me fall on my face like an idiot, now could I?” Sephiroth informed and the blonde’s lips pursed when he felt his cheeks grow hotter. Awkward, he averted his eyes before fingers on the bottom of his chin urged him to look back at his mate before his lips were given a kiss as long streams of moonlight hair spilled around him.

“So, I will examine the roof and get whatever I need when I finish my assessment,” the silverette informed and Cloud, dazed by the confident pheromones oozing from his mate, just nodded. After that, Sephiroth peeled himself away and walked out the garage door while the blonde shook himself and resumed to the threshold between the kitchen and main room of the house. Gathering everything in easy access, Cloud crouched down onto his haunches and started to scrub into the floor. It was hard work, he had to scrub fast enough to remove the softened wax and in each place he had to move his arm in circular motions until foam began to form around him. Slowly he made his way across the ground, grateful for the boots and black pants he was wearing as he made slow, tedious progress. Sephiroth came down from the roof after Cloud got to listen to his feet thump over his head for a while and informed the blonde that the roof was in excellent condition. By that time Cloud was dripping in so much sweat his clothes were sticking to him and had to take a break. As recovered as he was, the blonde was still prone to fatigue and had to take frequent breaks from any sort of physical activity.

While Cloud sat on the floor under the kitchen window facing the front door he stared out the kitchen window across the long rectangular kitchen, staring at the blue he could see of the sky. Sephiroth had left again after the blonde had sat his butt down, and did not return for nearly a half hour. When the silverette finally emerged into the kitchen Cloud stared up his mate in surprise. Long hair pulled up into a rather messy bun, Sephiroth stood in a pair of hastily bought sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. His boots were the only recognizable thing on him and the blonde wondered when and where he’d changed. The most interesting part was the fact that his mate had apparently bought rope and had tied his feathered appendage in such a way to keep the feathers off the ground and firmly stuck to his back, and Cloud wondered briefly if it was uncomfortable. Sephiroth held out his arms low at his sides, showing his new look with a smirk on his face.

“Now, I can help,” he said as he walked over to where his mate had left his tools and began working where he had stopped. On his knees the silverette was far more efficient in his movements as he worked, no doubt enjoying the benefits of enhancements without any of the drawbacks. Cloud watched Sephiroth’s powerful backside, feeling warmth tickle his heart as his mate made it deeper into the main room of the house. With a new wave of energy, the blonde stood up and grabbed the mop from the front of the house, washed the cotton throngs with the use of the water spout outside and twisted them dry before he returned to the inside of the house and began to sweep up and collect the foam to get rid of it. Thanks to Sephiroth’s speedy work they were half done when they received a knock on the door that Cloud was able to answer.

“Del Sol fridge delivery and install,” the man in a uniform and a matching cap all plastered with the store’s logo said and the blonde nodded as he pointed out the door toward the garage on the right.

“I’ll open that up for you,” Cloud answered and the man nodded as the blonde closed the front door and walked over toward the open kitchen entrance and stepped into the large garage that held the beauteous Hardy on the far end, though its beauty and luster was hidden away behind its protective tarp. Cloud grabbed the handle down toward the floor and with a breath heaved the door up, revealing the same man in uniform standing in place with a large box taller than his head tethered to a dolly. The blonde led the way to the house and the man followed until they were in the kitchen where Cloud pointed to the open space between kitchen counter and wall that the man immediately wheeled to. Glancing into the living room the blonde could see Sephiroth standing up with a sigh before he pivoted on his foot and walked toward him. Their eyes met and the two shared a small smile as the silverette drew up to his mate before looking into the kitchen as the massive box was released from the dolly and split open with a box cutter.

“I should be done in about 20 minutes,” the man said as he lifted his cap to reveal short brown hair before he replaced it on his head and got to work pulling the cardboard away.

“Well, now we just need everything else,” Sephiroth whispered down to Cloud as the two watched while a small smile returned to the blonde’s lips.

“Just the essentials to start with,” the blonde answered and his mate chuckled before rolling his shoulders with a content sigh.

“I’ll resume the floors. I’m too close to finishing to stop now,” the silverette said before departing and Cloud watched his mate walk across the large room and drop onto his knees before he grabbed his mop again and followed suit. By the time the man finished installing the fridge Sephiroth was working on the last quarter of the room, leaving the blonde to escorted the man out and bid him farewell as he put his tools and dolly away. Cloud waited until the man was up in his truck to wave him a farewell and walked back through the garage door and closed it behind him. Standing at the closed entrance the blonde glanced around the roomy two door garage and smiled as he took in all the open space, including what he noticed were two spots for the washer and dryer, something else that would need to be delivered and installed. With a stretch that bowed his back, Cloud walked back into the house, grabbed his mop, and rejoined his mate on the floor.

Once they were done, the floor and hall was cleaned of all the foam and a lot less shiny, though it seemed to slightly gleam in the light; but that was to be expected. Sephiroth walked back into the garage without missing a beat and returned across the room with the mattress in the air over his shoulder which he carried down the hall and into the bedroom where Cloud could hear the massive flop of the plastic covered furniture hitting the floor and grinned.

“Let’s get something to eat,” Sephiroth said when the blonde came into the bedroom.

“Yeah, I’m exhausted. Want to just grab a sandwich or something?” Cloud asked and his mate hummed in thought before giving a nod as he turned to face him.

“I’m done with people for today,” the silverette said and the blonde nodded in agreement.

“I’m at my max for social engagement,” Cloud agreed and both chuckled softly as Sephiroth walked up to him and wrapped his arms around the blonde’s back while he stepped up to his mate and pressed his face against his chest, triggering warmth to fill his heart. Lazily, Cloud wrapped his arms around Sephiroth’s waist and heaved a tired, content sigh. And if not for the painful growl that audibly rumbled between them, he would not have moved, he might not have anyway, but Sephiroth's soft laughter ruined his attempt to hang on the silverette.

“Let’s go grab something, we can eat… on the mattress,” Sephiroth suggested and a single laugh broke from the blonde’s throat as he stepped back from his mate and the two started down the hall to the front door. It was only when they were outside that the silverette released his wing with a gratified groan as the appendage stretched while he let his hair tumble down his back and shoulders in freedom. Finished, Sephiroth looked down and their eyes met as Cloud’s fingers extended and pet his mate’s silvery lengths before cocking his head slightly.

“Your hair is way longer now… I think?” the blonde asked as he swept his hand down and grabbed up a bunch and lifted it from where it hung past his mate’s knees. Sephiroth hummed in response.

“I haven’t cut it, so it should be longer,” the silverette answered, drawing Cloud’s eyes to his face which was then stroked by the fingers of his left hand. “Yours is too, Cloud,” Sephiroth said as his eyes traced the tall, dipping spikes of his mate’s hair before pulling his hand from the blonde’s cheek to run it back through his hair.

“I haven’t paid attention at all and I don’t think I’ve seen my reflection in ages,” Cloud answered as he dropped the silverette’s hair when his mate’s right arm slid around his back and pulled him closer. Their gazes locked as a smile curved Sephiroth’s lips.

“If your hair gets long, you might actually be less spiky headed,” the silverette said in note and Cloud laughed slightly as he wrapped his arms around his mate and stubbornly planted his cheek on his chest, which left his mate’s hands empty before they settled onto his shoulder blades.

“Long hair looks bad on me and I don’t have the patience to care for it,” Cloud answered, drawing a soft chuckle from the silverette.

“Then we must cut it,” Sephiroth said as the two separated and the blonde nodded.

“Yeah,” he agreed before the silverette started down the porch steps before offering out his hand, which Cloud took and the two walked off the property, the blonde’s hand abandoned in favor of a more intimate move of wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Sephiroth and Cloud ended up familiarizing themselves with the local grocery store that had a deli, which had them leaving with two sandwiches and two bottles of water that were taken back home. The blonde sat down on the bed, groaning in appreciation when his sore muscles made it very well known that he’d made the right decision. A chuckle issued from his mate as he too sat down at Cloud’s side and the two unwrapped their sandwiches to eat.

“I’ll look for a bed frame tomorrow,” the blonde said.

“The mattress store?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde shook his head.

“I saw a thrift store earlier today, I thought I’d look there. It’ll be cheaper, and sometimes you find really good stuff,” Cloud answered and his mate nodded as he chewed and then swallowed.

“I could come with you then,” Sephiroth said and the blonde turned a smile toward his mate.

“We can see what all they have. Could have some useful stuff, I mean, we've got a mattress and a fridge,” Cloud said and his mate chuckled.

“All right, then we’ll do that tomorrow after breakfast. We should also grab at least something to cook with and some food so we don’t have to keep going out,” the silverette offered and Cloud groaned.

“I don’t wanna talk about chores anymore,” the blonde said and Sephiroth laughed a little stronger before taking another bite.

“All right, we can try taking a soak in that tub and then relax the rest of the day,” the silverette suggested after swallowing and Cloud nodded in agreement.

“Bath sounds good.”

~~~~

After finishing their meal the blonde took the lead into the bathroom where at some point Sephiroth had placed their scant bathing supplies, which consisted of small bottles of shampoo and conditioner and a bar of soap. It wasn’t much, but even with the big compartment on the bike for storage, they were still quite limited. Cloud went to the tub spout and twisted the handle until water sprayed violently in hard short bursts before finally breaking into a continuous pour. Toward the top of the tub built into the wall was a lever that the blonde flipped and immediately water began to pool around the drain as he adjusted the temperature for warmth. Hands slid around either side of his hips, which drew a shudder down Cloud’s spine as the fingers curled around his hip bones before he was pulled while the thick smell of arousal filled the air. Backing up and straightened his back the blonde pressed his head against his mate’s bare chest as a soft, rumbling sound filled the hair while streams of silver fell forward until Cloud was cocooned in a veil of hair. The blonde could feel his mate’s cock press against the upper slope of his ass, clearly already excited; if the smell hadn’t been anything to go by.

Tilting his head back, Cloud was rewarded with a kiss to his lips as green cat-like eyes bore into his own while long fingers dipped below the waistband of his pants. Warmth swelled the blonde’s cock as his heart thrummed in his chest while he allowed Sephiroth’s fingers to slide toward the button on his dirty pants, his breath growing deeper in his chest against the top of his mate’s head. The silverette dipped lower and their lips brushed, inhibited from making full contact thanks to their noses bumping chins as the button on Cloud’s pants popped loose. Arousal pulsed hotter in the blonde as Sephiroth’s lips kissed the tip of his nose before placing soft pecks over his forehead as he took hold of the zipper and slid it down. The pants fell into a pile at the blonde feet, his boxers quickly following suit, which exposed the swollen girth of his dick as the silverette’s fingers encircled the swollen base and gave a stroke that drew a low, breathy groan from Cloud’s lips.

Excitement zipped through the blonde as the smell of the silverette’s arousal thickened around him, heart fluttering hard in his chest he turned around in his mate’s arms, grabbed his shirt and yanked it off over his head. Once free, Sephiroth's hands were on him again as one slid down to the small of the blonde’s back while the other carded through the side of his spiked hair while the silverette leaned into Cloud who dipped back with a tilt of his chin. Lips pressed warm and soft before quickly becoming energetic as mouths parted. The blonde tilted his head to the side slightly while their mouths sealed and tongues slipped together, rubbing and curling before Sephiroth sucked Cloud’s tongue into his mouth and both groaned appreciatively before breaking lips.

“Let’s get in,” Sephiroth breathed and the blonde nodded, almost dizzy from the brief dance of tongues as he peeled away from his mate and turned to the bath. The tub was half filled, and knowing their two bodies would be displacing the water, Cloud turned the faucet off and climbed in. His mate was quickly stepping in himself, though the silverette had taken a moment to adjust his wing over the side of the tiled platform the bathtub was built into when he took up the end. The blonde slid forward and climbed into Sephiroth’s lap with some needy pulls by the silverette’s hands until their cocks touched and they pressed together. Groans spilled from their mouths as their lips sealed again, tongues dancing against one another as Sephiroth’s left hand slid down to the wetness of Cloud’s ass, the slick managing to stick to him even in the water as his fingers rubbed against the puckered ring of muscles. His mate moaned, cock pulsing in pleasure as his chest bumped into the silverette’s. Cloud’s arms wrapped around his mate’s neck and squeezed himself to the silverette as he ground his hips against Sephiroth’s and moans spilled into one another’s mouths before the silverette broke lips.

“You want to go all the way tonight?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he sat back, debating. He had an uncomfortable night ahead of him, but he was also just simply exhausted. Torn, the blonde’s brow furrowed as he leaned forward and pressed his face into his mate’s shoulder and inhaled the wonderfully clean yet spiced musk scent of alpha.

“Tired, but I can’t decide,” Cloud mumbled and a soft groan of pleasure slithered from the silverette in response to the sensation of lips stroking his shoulder.

“All right then, let’s be lazy tonight,” Sephiroth suggested as he slid his left hand away from Cloud’s sphincter and down between their bodies before he slid his long fingers around their cocks and his mate’s breath caught in his chest for a moment. Sephiroth’s right hand slid to the back of Cloud’s head and their lips sealed together, greedy tongues pushing and rubbing against one another as the silverette’s wrist set into quick, far too efficient motion. Pleasure sparked hot through their bodies, pulsing hot through their swollen balls and dicks as Cloud made a keening sound as his hips rubbed up against his mate. Pleasure spilled low and throaty from Sephiroth into the blonde’s mouth as their hips twitched against one another while the silverette’s fist pumped faster, greedy to draw out the boiling pleasure between them as orgasm rapidly built up between their sweating bodies. 

Cloud broke the kiss and clung to Sephiroth as he panted against his mate’s ear who shuddered in arousal as the silverette’s own lips sought out, kissed, and nipped at the flesh by his first bond mark before he sucked on it and the blonde stiffened with a sharp gasp as his cock twitched in his mate’s rapidly rubbing fist before a burst of cum hit the water. Arousal spiked hotter through the silverette as Cloud’s hips jerked, riding out the wave of his quickly earned orgasm as the silverette fist let the softening prick of his mate slip free before roughly jerking himself until orgasm punched through him and Sephiroth tensed, lips tearing from the blonde’s throat as his right arm snapped down around his mate’s shoulders and squeezed him to his chest through the rush of orgasm. Both men sagged with a relieved sigh while Cloud sagged boneless against the silverette who leaned backward against the end of the tub.

“That was nice,” the blonde sighed after a long moment of silence and a chuckle came from Sephiroth as he slid his arm from his mate’s shoulders, lifting his chin with his freed hand and kissing his lips. The kiss was lingering and chaste before they parted and Cloud finally sat back up straight. “We should, you know, actually clean up,” the blonde said and Sephiroth smiled as he grabbed the shampoo they’d been sharing and looked at his mate.

“Then I get to wash you, and you can wash me,” he suggested and the blonde returned the smile as he nodded.

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned on doing the "talk" this chapter but so much sweetness was going on it just didn't feel right. I already had a mood slap not too long ago, so I decided I'd hold off and we'll have our chat next chapter.


	5. Twisted Truth and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Cloud confront the demon trailing them and some terrible truths are unearthed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope everyone who reads this chapter enjoys! And thank you so much to everyone who has been engaging! Thank you all so much!
> 
> This is a heavy, emotional chapter. DX
> 
> And apologies for the delay in this chapter. I was having some issues, but those are hopefully resolved now.

“Are you okay?” Sephiroth asked from his spot sitting in the middle of the mattress by the blonde who couldn’t relax the tension that wound through his body, prompting his heart to pound hard. They were just dreams. Bad dreams, but dreams. And yet, Cloud felt a cold sweat break across his skin.

“Can I sit in your lap?” the blonde asked as he looked up at his mate who gave a nod. Grateful, Cloud knee walked over in front of the silverette and sat down in his lap before a pair of strong arms wrapped around him and pulled the blonde back into the silverette’s chest.

“Feel better?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde nodded despite the frown dipping his full lips.

“A little, I guess. I don’t want to do this, but I gave my word,” Cloud said as his right hand settled onto his abdomen, drawing his mate’s gaze before the limb moved away. “I feel like I don’t even know where to start.”

“Your nightmares, when did they actually start?” Sephiroth asked.

“When we were on the road. The first one, actually, was that time I got really mad at you for being gone when I woke up,” Cloud said in a hard breath. “I just woke up in a total panic and freaked out when I realized I was alone. I’m not sure why I reacted that way.”

“I was practicing flying and lost track of time,” the silverette answered as the blonde sank back further while his knees drew up to his chest, just remembering it made his belly hurt as a wave of dread settled heavy over Cloud, tensing his frame.

“In that dream, I was strapped to a table, at least I think it was a table, and I was naked. It was hard and I couldn’t move. My feet were flat on it and my legs were spread,” the blonde’s heart stuttered as a wave of stress pushed down over him, stuttering his words as he paused with a shudder. After taking a moment to collect himself, Cloud spoke some more.

“It was terrifying. My stomach was swollen up huge, like I’d swallowed a fucking beach ball and was on the verge of exploding,” the blonde said, his words breaking up when an anxious race seized his heart. Sephiroth’s arms pulled his mate tighter to his body and the blonde drew in an unsteady breath. “I don’t know why it still scares me. It wasn’t even real,” Cloud whispered.

“Is that all that happened?” the silverette asked, tension to his voice and his mate shook his head.

“No,” Cloud answered before he collected a needed breath to calm himself. “There were people around me, talking, but I couldn’t understand them. I remember thinking to myself that it was like the stories you hear about alien abductions and I legitimately wondered if somehow that was what was happening,” Cloud paused and grimaced as his hand returned to his belly when he felt a pinch in it, “And then my belly split open,” Cloud said, voice catching on the last bit of information.

“It split?” Sephiroth asked, a tightness to his voice that begged the question of why his mate was as anxious as he was.

“Yeah. It was like something out of a horror movie. It split open and there was so much blood, and some kind of clear mucus, or a bag or something. And then I think they took my guts out of me,” Cloud declared, heaving a sigh of relief before when he finished and sagged against the silverette, unaware of how tight his body had become until that moment.

“That… was all?” Sephiroth asked.

“No,” the blonde answered as he turned in his mate’s lap and pressed the side of his head against the silverette’s chest.

“I had dreams where I was on that table and my feet were in stirrups,” the statement caused a sudden uncomfortable race in Cloud’s heart, stealing his breath and making him dizzy for a moment. After the moment passed, the blonde drew in a breath and spoke more. “Something was injected in me, anally. Like, I think it was some kind of machine and it hurt like hell,” Cloud explained.

“You can’t feel pain in dreams, Cloud,” Sephiroth said, a slight shake to his voice.

“But you can think you’re in pain, I’ve had that before in dreams,” the blonde countered as the pain in his belly returned stronger and he paused, brows twisting in dismay when his mate’s hold tightened.

“Anything else?” Sephiroth asked, voice almost sounding brittle, which drew a confused look from the blonde up toward his mate’s face, but he couldn’t see his expression from his low angle.

“Well, I wake up the sound of bubbling and beeping sometimes. I dreamed once that I was floating in green water,” Cloud answered as his stomach gave a sharp throbbing pain that made him tense.

“Are you sure it was your guts that were taken out?” the silverette asked in a strangely cautious voice.

“Well, no. I couldn’t really see past the bright lights,” Cloud answered.

“Did you feel better after whatever it was, was taken out?” Sephiroth asked and it took almost no time at all for the blonde to answer, surprised by his ability to answer.

“Yeah, actually. I didn’t think about it before, but I think in my head, I thought it made me feel a lot better,” Cloud answered and his mate’s arms left him, one crossing over Sephiroth’s stomach while the hand of his other bent as his hand lifted to his face.

“Sephiroth?” Cloud asked as he moved to climb from his mate’s lap when the pain in his belly lanced sharp and violent and he gasped, clutching his belly. Sephiroth’s hands were on him immediately as a groan passed the blonde’s lips.

“Cloud? Are you in pain, right now?” the silverette asked and Cloud moaned as he struggled to lean away from the hands, suddenly not wanting to be touched, but they were trying to grab him.

“Please, stop!” the blonde hissed and immediately the hands around him snapped away as Cloud held his breath, tensed his muscles against the pain, and pushed himself to lay on his side.

“Cloud!” Sephiroth called as the blonde pulled his knees up, hands clutching his belly as his teeth grit while a hiss left his teeth.

“It’s just in my head!” Cloud hissed. It was the only thing that made sense. Sure, he sometimes felt it mildly when he wasn’t thinking about it, but whenever he talked about it or dreamed about it, the pain always came back worse.

“No, I don’t believe that,” Sephiroth pressed.

“Please, just stop,” Cloud gasped, a whimpering plea in his voice as he tucked his chin into his chest.

“I’m calling the urgent care center,” the silverette declared and anger swelled hot in the blonde’s chest.

“Don’t move me!” Cloud screamed when the lancing stab twisted sharper, bolting all through his abdomen and into his stomach as the acidic burn returned and slid all beneath his skin. It went silent then, there was no movement, nothing. And after a few tense minutes, the blonde was able to slowly relax as the burn beneath his flesh dulled and the pain in his belly ebbed to a dull throb; more like what he was used to.

“Cloud, do you know what you just described to me?” Sephiroth asked, his voice careful, tight, and low.

“Alien Abduction?” Cloud asked, not entirely sure he wanted to continue the conversation. He had done what he’d promised and wanted to quit, and he never wanted to bring it up again. It was weird that the pain got worse when he thought or talked about it, but surely even Sephiroth wouldn’t be so selfish as to make him do it again.

“No, it sounds like experiments, Cloud,” the silverette informed, an unfurling of bitter anger in his words. “And childbirth,” Sephiroth added and Cloud felt a bolt of shock hit his heart as a rush of unneeded adrenaline rushed through his blood and raced the vital organ..

“No,” the blonde stuttered.

“Yes,” the silverette insisted. “Male omega childbirth is very different from female childbirth. You don’t have a birthing canal, and so male omega bodies do something… horror movie-esque,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud whimpered, brows knotting up together as a weird panic hit.

“Seph, please don’t,” the blonde pleaded.

“You should know this, Cloud,” the silverette stated, voice shaking. “Do you know why omega rights are so infantile? Or why our system is clumsy in our handling of omegas? Why ShinRa runs Omega Square, targeting specifically male omegas?” Cloud shook his head, feeling a strange wave of unsettled emotion quiver through him. It was bad. It was all so bad, and something told the blonde he didn’t want to hear it.. “That’s because male omegas have only recently grown significant in number, outnumbering females by a very large percentage. And that is because only a century ago male omegas did not survive giving birth,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud groaned, the pain was getting worse again.

“When a male omega gives birth, from the navel down to the area before the penile tissue starts, they split open. No cutting needed. The tissue in the middle of your lower abdomen is actually different structurally, though it can’t be detected by touch or typical exams,” the silverette explained. “Advances in medical science, particularly surgery, have allowed male omegas to survive childbirth. Before, male omegas were almost self-replacing, which kept their numbers low. Because of that they were seen as rare and abnormal, which led to them being discriminated against, hid away, and abused,” Sephiroth finished and Cloud whimpered when he felt the mattress shudder with his mate moving before a hand slid beneath his shirt, trying to work beneath his hands.

“Let me see, Cloud,” the silverette ordered, voice hard and the blonde felt hot pressure swell his eyes as water wet the corners.

“What are you doing?” Cloud asked, voice tight and quivering.

“The tissue that splits open heals very rapidly when it's sutured together. But when it heals the flesh is thicker, leaving a small thin line that can be felt, I want to feel your belly, Cloud,” Sephiroth pressed and the blonde gasped in panic. Despite the powerful lance up pain through his belly he pushed up and backed away from under his mate’s bent over form with a shake of his head.

“I don’t want to,” Cloud gasped. The silverette lowered his head, took in a slow, deep breath and lifted his face back up before he opened his eyes to stare into his bond’s.

“Cloud, we need to do this,” Sephiroth said, voice stern and expression determined. The blonde shook his head, regret filling him to the core. He never should have agreed, he never should have said anything. Why did things always have to be so difficult?

“Please, Cloud,” the silverette said from his spot on his hands and knees on the bed before he lifted and held out his left, beckoning as his expression softened into a forlorn look.

“I know you don’t want to,” Sephiroth said, voice softer, concerned. “But we need to. It’s possible that something is really wrong, Cloud. I need to see if I’m right, to see if Hojo abused you reproductively.” The blonde sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, brows twisting up together as water shined his eyes before his eyes fell to the mattress in front of him with a renewed, deep throbbing ache in his chest.

“I’m scared,” Cloud admitted in a hard breath.

“I am too,” Sephiroth said, and the blonde jerked his head up at the admission. “I don’t want to think that my mate was used like cattle and bred for some fucked up science experiment. To make something else like me.” The tone of the silverette’s voice dropped in self-loathing and brittle emotions as he still held his hand for his mate to come back to him, trying to hold his mate’s wet eyes.

“Please, Cloud, I want to take care of you and keep you safe. And I know you want to do the same for me. But if something is wrong, if something Hojo did to you is causing you trouble now, we need to know. I don’t,” Sephiroth’s jaw clenched for a moment, brow tensing as he looked away, clearly imagining something that made his lips tense, “I don't want to wake up one day and find you dead.” 

Anxiety twisted Cloud’s heart as he slid forward toward his mate, drawing pained green eyes to his face as he laid down on his back, shaking and finding it hard to stretch out flat as pain yanked at his muscles while water trickled out of the corners of his eyes. Somehow, the blonde just knew. Sephiroth was right, he was going to find exactly what he was looking for, and Cloud didn’t want to face it. But he was being selfish again. Carefully, the silverette leaned over his mate and lifted his shirt before he ran his fingers down his skin, beneath his belly button as he closed his eyes, concentrating. After a brief second Sephiroth’s brow jumped and his hand stalled before his eyelids slid open and stared down at his mate’s face where water ran down his cheeks as he struggled to control his stuttering breath.

“It’s there, isn’t it?” Cloud asked, voice high in tension with a hitching to his words as pain twisted his mate’s face.

“Yeah.”


	6. The Doctor's Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is taken to the doctor despite his not wanting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. But, it's here now! And quite a doozy of one to in its contents. 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and interacting with this fic! I very much hope you enjoy this new chapter!
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) who pointed out all of the confusing moments and my abuse of commas.
> 
> **This chapter covers some very heavy subjects that some people may find really upsetting. So, as to avoid spoilers for what it is, I've put the additional warnings at the end of the chapter, so if you are someone who finds concern with certain topics and don't mind being spoiled, you can quickly click the end of chapter notes link at the bottom of this, and see what it is before you read. If you're not concerned, you can just dive right in.**
> 
> 🠗 🠗 🠗 🠗 🠗 🠗 🠗 🠗

Cloud clutched Sephiroth’s shoulder with his left fist, grabbing even hair as he was carried through town toward the urgent care center. With the call placed, all that had to be done was for the blonde to show up, and the silverette was not letting his mate convince him to turn back.

“It’s not hurting so bad,” Cloud muttered despite the tension in his body from where he was carried as if he weighed nothing, left arm wrapped around the back of his bond’s shoulders, still grabbing.

“Cloud, have you been truly honest in how often your belly hurts?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde’s face pinched as if in pain. The blonde turned his face into the crook of his mate’s neck and released a stuttered breath.

“Off and on, usually I can deal with it. Maybe it’s just trauma and going to the doctor is a waste,” the blonde said and the silverette gently dismissed the statement away with a shake of his head despite the pull of his hair.

“We will not take that risk. And even if it’s trauma, there are treatments for chronic pain. You are not getting out of this, Cloud. Please, cooperate. If you turn out to be fine, then we can go home and I’ll do whatever you want. But if not, then we must absolutely address whatever it is,” Sephiroth said in a soft, but firm tone that left no room for argument and the blonde released a groan of discontent. They reached the small hospital that looked more like an urban clinic toward the back of town up the hill where most of the non tourist-centric area of town was located. The glass doors were lit up bright and swished open when the silverette stepped to them and inside. Cloud tensed further, groaning when pain unfurled through his belly again as they went to the reception desk with the sign overhead reading: Urgent Care.

“Hello,” a woman with blonde hair and glasses greeted, which Sephiroth returned while the woman’s eyes drifted to Cloud who decided to keep his face where it was in his mate’s neck, even if it looked childish, she couldn’t see his face.

“I called earlier. My name is Seth,” the silverette informed and the woman looked through the manila folders on her right before she pulled one out.

“Here we go. Twenty minutes ago you called. Oh, you said your mate is having severe abdominal pain and turned down our offer for an ambulance,” the woman said and Sephiroth nodded.

“Yes. I knew I could get him here quickly on my own,” the silverette answered.

“Okay, take a seat and we will be with in probably a few minutes. Very few people come in at this hour; mostly drunk tourists,” the woman said with some snark with her end statement. A curve quirked Sephiroth’s lips as he turned to the open room in front of the counter where lines of chairs sat on carpet. Walking over toward the closest row facing the desk, the silverette knelt down and placed his burden into one. Cloud reluctantly let go before averting his head to not have his face seen as one hand went immediately to his stomach.

“How is it right now,” Sephiroth asked and the blonde turned sullen eyes up toward his mate’s face.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Cloud stated in a tight voice, a glowering expression in place that was ignored as the silverette stood, walked over, and sat down next to his mate.

“Just deal with this for tonight,” Sephiroth said when his name, or alias, was called by the woman at the counter and walked back over. Within seconds a collection of papers were pushed toward him on a clipboard that he took back to his chair. Immediately he began to scribble things down in his lap.

“Shouldn’t I fill out papers too?” Cloud asked as the silverette continued to scribble in provided spaces.

“You will, on here with me. Because we’re mates our paperwork will always be joined, just like when we bought the house,” Sephiroth said, his voice falling into a distracted mutter. “We should formally register if we want the benefits,” the silverette muttered.

“Benefits?” the blonde asked.

“Tax breaks,” Sephiroth answered before he lifted his head, his breath catching for a second as he appeared to think before he looked back down at the forms, “...other things, primarily financial incentives. Each locale handles mate registration different. Its decentralized nature would be convenient for us, though it’s a pain for anyone that moves from one area to another, Midgar in particular with the charges they require to be recognized,” Sephiroth fell into silence then and Cloud leaned over carefully to see what he was scribbling away.

“Sticking to Seth?” the blonde asked in a subdued voice.

“It’s what I used when we bought the house. I’ll get some IDs made in the next month so that I don’t have to keep worrying about someone not wanting to do business with us over our lack of identification. In Midgar it would be impossible, but the outlying areas outside Midgar are remarkably lax. There are people who are still born in homes who don’t even get formally recorded until much later, if ever,” the silverette explained.

“So, getting IDs should be pretty easy then, right?” Cloud asked.

“Yes. It’s easy to use the assumption that we are simply not put into the record yet, especially if we claim to come from some small, isolated village. Even Nibelheim should work, though I’d have to talk to your mother about how up to date their records are and how much they report to ShinRa, but considering the bad blood, we may have the chance to do so. If not, I know of some other villages that will work perfectly. It’s amazing how underdeveloped the rest of the continent is outside of Midgar,” Sephiroth muttered.

“Pretty dystopian,” the blonde mumbled as his mate flipped a page.

“I would say so. Hmm, I’ll have to say we lost our IDs in the move,” the silverette muttered when he skipped a section. With a flash of pain that tensed Cloud’s muscles he leaned back against the back of the chair, no longer hiding his face. A few moments later Sephiroth passed the papers over to the blonde who took the pen and looked down at the forms. It didn’t take long for Cloud to go through the forms since his mate had filled out most things while leaving everything pertaining to Cloud empty. But where he found he needed to, the blonde filled in the form, though he hadn’t changed his first name, opting instead to call himself Cloud Stride. The covert look of humor Sephiroth had given him when they bought the house hadn’t been missed, but it was easier than trying to remember to always respond or introduce himself different. As it was, he really only had to remember to call his mate Seth in public.

“Mr. Stride?” a woman called when a door into the room opened and the two turned in their chairs. With a sigh Cloud rose to his feet, ignoring the silverette’s probing stare as they turned and walked to the other side of the room where the woman stood at the door.

“This way,” the woman called as she led the duo to a weigh in station and the blonde was instructed to stand on it. “122 pounds,” the woman noted before having Cloud get off and stand against the wall to measure his height. “Five foot eight. Mr. Stride, you’re very underweight, and it shows of course,” the woman said and the blonde gave a curt nod, awkward to have his mate standing in the hall with his arms crossed, watching him while his base stats were taken in.

“I’m recovering from mako poisoning,” Cloud stated as he was waved forward and Sephiroth followed behind him.

“Mako poisoning?” the woman asked as she paused and looked behind her at the blonde. She swept her eyes up and down him before she seemed to catch on his eyes which Cloud turned from her. There was clearly a question on her lips the way her mouth moved, but instead they pursed as her brows furrowed and she pulled her face away before resuming her lead. “How on earth are you even walking?” she asked rhetorically and Cloud grimaced as they turned into a small examination room.

“Take a seat,” the nurse said and the blonde froze in the doorway, not liking the visual of the inclined examination table. Hands settled onto his shoulders and the blonde jerked his face up to look up at his mate.

“I’m right behind you,” Sephiroth said gently, towering over his mate and standing out far too much in the white wash room with his duster and the black feathery appendage at his back. Swallowing past the tightness in his throat Cloud walked into the room and hopped up on the edge of the exam table while the silverette took up the one free chair that didn’t belong to the doctor. The blonde’s temperature was taken and as the nurse wrapped his arm in a blood pressure machine cuff that immediately inflated.

“A little warm,” the woman noted when she pulled the thermostat from Cloud’s mouth while the blood pressure device squeezed his bony arm a minute before deflating and she read out his stats. “Good blood pressure,” the woman said as she sat at the chair in front of the computer.

“Any allergies or medications we should know of?” the woman asked.

“No, I’m good,” Cloud answered.

“Anything else medically relevant we should know? You said you are recovering from mako poisoning?”

“Mako addiction,” Sephiroth chimed in, pulling honey eyes toward him and then back to the blonde who nodded.

“I was an addict back in my hometown,” Cloud fibbed and the woman nodded.

“Are you still using? Mako or any other drugs?” she asked and the blonde shook his head even as he answered.

“No, I’m clean now.” The woman typed away for a few moments before picking her questions again.

“When was your last heat?” the nurse asked and Cloud tensed, head lowering until his chin almost touched his chest. After a moment he heard the wheeled stool the woman sat in move and then Sephiroth spoke.

“Cloud hasn’t had a heat since his mako poisoning,” the silverette informed and it went quiet for a long moment.

“How long, exactly, if you can remember the last time at all?” the woman asked, her words careful in their speed.

“A year and a half,” Sephiroth answered and Cloud nodded with a grimace in his features.

“I see,” the nurse said before another brief bout of verbal silence was filled with the clicking of keys.

“So, you’re here for abdominal pain?” the woman asked.

“Yeah,” Cloud answered, not enthused.

“On a scale of one to ten, how is it?” she asked and the blonde frowned, not sure how to answer or if he wanted to. Not when Sephiroth was staring at him, arms crossed and expression focused on him.

“It varies. And it comes and goes,” Cloud answered in a flat voice.

“Mhm,” the woman hummed. “What is it when it’s at its worst? And when it’s at its most mild?” she probed.

“Uh… I guess tonight it got bad,” the blonde’s eyes flicked to Sephiroth and their eyes met before he jerked his gaze down to his feet in regret. He had a choice now, but really, he promised to cooperate if it was bad. “Ten out of ten I guess,” Cloud muttered. “And I don’t know, anywhere from a one to a three when it’s at its most mild.”

“I see. What are you feeling exactly? Burning? Sharp pains? How have your bowel movements been?” the woman pressed and the blonde felt his cheeks burn as he kicked his feet a little like a kid.

“Sharp and burning, I guess? It starts off as kind of sharp, pulsing, and then it sort of burns, but not really. Bathroom stuff is all normal,” he answered.

“Have you been having constipation or diarrhea lately? And bloody or black stool? Bloating in your belly?” the woman asked.

“No, normal,” Cloud answered.

“Any changes in how often you go?”

“No.”

“Heartburn, vomiting, or any stomach upset?”

“Well, some indigestion I guess. Never really had it before, but I get it off and on now,” Cloud admitted, wishing that Sephiroth wasn’t sitting in the room listening to him talk about his literal shit. But, he supposed, it was a natural thing that couples would be exposed to eventually. Still, going from excellent health to having so many problems was as frustrating as much as it was embarrassing.

“All right, the doctor will be in shortly,” the nurse said as she stood up and left out the door. With the woman gone, Cloud was left in silence, pinned beneath his mate’s stare.

“When were you going to tell me it was a ten out of ten?” Sephiroth asked, a note of disappointment in his voice.

“It’s happened like only a few times, like once when you were out in Nibelheim, and after that first bad nightmare,” the blonde stated.

“You’ve only been consciously moving around for a few weeks,” the silverette pointed out and Cloud grimaced as he swept his eyes across the floor, not wanting to look at his mate’s disproving face.

“So you were having pain before the nightmares,” Sephiroth noted and the blonde nodded.

“Yeah. Along with the burning under my skin. The stuff that you said was probably because of mako,” Cloud answered.

“How much does it hurt, when it usually hits? You said it was only ten out of ten a few times. How much does it hurt the rest of the time?” Sephiroth asked.

“Um, well, sometimes it doesn’t really hurt at all. And sometimes it’s a mild pull, like there’s something obstructing me? But, I’ve not had any bathroom issues. But, it just hurts, like there’s a rock in my belly and it gets really tender. I don’t think I’ve noticed any swelling, but it’s hard to tell because my body’s changed so much since I last saw it. It looks a little more, I don’t know, pooched out? Even though I literally have no weight on me. But, I don’t have all the core muscle I had built up to flatten my stomach like before. I’ve thought about trying to work out again, but I don’t want to because it hurts. I think, I guess if I had to rate it as it normally is when I notice it, it’s like a five or six. Enough to stop me from wanting to do some things, but not enough to really hinder me in normal stuff. I can ignore it as long as I don’t strain it,” Cloud explained and the huff he heard was like a punch in the heart. Sephiroth was angry. A frown dipped the blonde’s lips as he hunched over a little more, careful not to put too much pressure on his belly.

“We need to tell the doctor all of this when they come in,” the silverette stated and Cloud gave a forlorn nod. The two fell into an awkward silence for a length of time that felt like hours, but had probably only been minutes before a tall woman with dark brown hair entered with a smile.

“Cloud Stride?” the woman asked as the blonde lifted his head in acknowledgment.

“Yeah.” he said as she walked over to the stool by the computer and sat down.

“So I hear you’re having pain in your belly,” the doctor said as she looked through the recorded information on the screen.

“Yeah, really bad sometimes. Pretty much hurts most of the time, but varies on how bad it is,” he answered.

“For how long?” the woman asked.

“A month maybe? I’m not really sure. I’ve only just been well enough to move around recently,” Cloud answered and the woman nodded as she spoke.

“Yes, you said you were recovering from mako addiction, which caused you to develop mako poisoning,” the doctor reiterated.

“Yeah,”

“Cloud, you should tell her everything you told me a minute ago,” Sephiroth interjected, drawing the woman’s eyes toward him. “My apologies. But my bond has been hiding this condition for weeks and almost didn’t come here tonight because he was being stubborn,” the silverette explained and concerned eyes turned toward Cloud. With a morose sigh, the blonde launched into his explanation again, doing his best to make sure he got everything so that Sephiroth wouldn’t think he was trying to play it down again. When Cloud was finished a deep frown dipped the doctor’s lips with a furrow to her delicate brow.

“How long has it been since you two had sex?” she asked. The blonde felt his heart jump in his chest as his cheeks flushed.

“We have sex regularly,” Sephiroth answered. “Do you think this could be pregnancy related?” he asked.

“Well, belly pain can mean digestive issues or cancer, which we can check for. But given Cloud’s age, and the fact that he is a male omega, it could be that he’s pregnant, and no matter the pregnancy, severe pain is never a good sign. I would like to perform an ultrasound, if that’s alright with you?” the woman asked as she turned her dark brown eyes to Cloud who sat, shoulders up in tension even as he gave a nod.

“It won’t hurt. You’ll just have a cold, wet belly for a few minutes,” the doctor promised. “And if we find nothing, we’ll draw some blood and check for the usual suspects for this sort of issue. We may even do a fecal test, just to make sure your body is doing its job as it should,” the woman informed and Cloud paled at the thought as his stomach churned some.

“Okay,” he said, voice shaky as his heart twisted and quivered in his chest. Taking a deep breath to try and calm it, the blonde winced when it only got worse.

“Cloud, are you alright?” Sephiroth asked, his voice suddenly much softer as Cloud nodded.

“Yeah. Do I just lay back here?” he asked. The doctor hesitated before answering.

“Yes. Are you sure you’re alright? Do you need a drink of water?” she asked.

“No, I’m okay. Just, really anxious about what’s going to be found,” Cloud admitted as he crawled backward up the table until he was leaned against the inclined back of the table.

“Okay, then. If you need anything, please feel free to say so,” the woman said as she walked to the door before turning back to him.

“I’ll need you to lay down flat, dear. I’ll be right back with the equipment I need,” she said as she exited. Sephiroth was up in an instant, picking up his chair and setting down by Cloud’s head as the blonde slid down again until just his head rest against the incline.

“Cloud, are you alright?” Sephiroth asked again as his left hand slid up and settled into blonde spikes of hair where he gently massaged his mate’s scalp. The soothing rub actually made his heart calm a little and Cloud closed his eyes, relaxing a lot more as he did so.

“Yeah, now that you’re close,” the blonde said, taking a deep inhale of his mate’s scent, finally overpowering the disinfectant smell of the examination room. Tension creased Cloud’s brow as he fingers tapped over his belly.

“I really wish this wasn’t happening,” the blonde said into the silence of the room.

“Me too. I would much rather you be healthy and never need a doctor. For now, it’s best we just not try to think too much on what we don’t know,” Sephiroth said when the door opened and a machine was wheeled into the room by the doctor who smiled at them.

“I see you two have gotten comfortable,” she said as she pushed the machine up to the table and Cloud felt his heart twist in his chest as he stared at it while the brunette changed her gloves before she pulled her chair to the side of him opposite Sephiroth. With the machine pulled over next to her, the monitor looming ominously over them, she turned it on and started fiddling with various buttons and dials before she grabbed a bottle of thick fluid. She turned to the blonde then and smiled.

“It won’t hurt a bit, so lift your shirt, dear,” she said in a soft voice and Cloud did so, pulling his black t-shirt up until his belly was fully exposed. “Hm, lower your pants a bit too, we want to get a full view of you,” she added and with a flush Cloud unbuttoned, unzipped his pants, and worked them down until some of the golden curls of his pubic hair began to peak over the top of his pants and boxers.

“Very good,” the doctor said as she slathered on a lukewarm thick slick over his belly until he was fully covered. A minute later a cylindrical object with a rounded flat head was lifted and hovered over the blonde. Cloud sucked in a deep breath, feeling a hot rush of adrenaline flare through his veins as he looked at the woman who smiled.

“I’m just going to rub it on you, okay? We’ll be able to see what’s in there on the screen,” she said as she motioned to the monitor mounted in the middle above the wheeled base before she carefully pressed the rounded head to his belly. Immediately sparks of glowing white speckled the screen, forming difficult to discern shapes to the untrained eye. The woman fixed her eyes on the monitor as she slid the device around on Cloud’s stomach and gave a hum.

“I’m going to push a little harder, okay. If it hurts, tell me,” she said, her voice deep in focus..

“Okay,” the blonde said as Sephiroth’s hand slid down and grabbed Cloud’s, which he squeezed and was squeezed in return. The woman pressed harder than the blonde expected as she slid the device down low, almost inside his pants before moving around lower and then back up, centering over the middle of his belly where she made lazy circles and leaned forward to stare harder at the screen. Cloud watched her, staring at the woman as her shoulders subtly lifted with a slow, deep intake of breath.

“When was your last heat again?” she asked.

“A year and a half ago, roughly,” Sephiroth answered.

“When was the last time you two had sex?” the woman asked.

“Last night,” Cloud blurted, voice sounding gravely in his ears.

“You haven’t had a heat since you developed mako poisoning from your addiction,” the woman asserted as she seemed to lean toward the monitor. The woman then turned toward the pair, and Cloud trained his eyes on his slicked belly where the handheld device still pressed.

“What did you find?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde squeezed his mate’s hand tighter. It was quiet for so long that Cloud couldn't do it anymore and looked up at the woman who wore a truly unwell look on her face. Brows drawn up so tight her smooth forehead was laden with creases, her lips a thin, stressed line as she took in a breath and Cloud felt his stomach churn when she lowered her eyes to meet his and he jerked his face back down, heart racing so hard he almost gasped.

“It’s roughly two months into development,” the woman informed, her voice grave and Cloud sucked in a very loud, audible gasp, his grip so hard on his mate’s hand it shook, but the grip didn’t seem to register as Cloud’s eyes suddenly burned hot while he lifted his face to look at his bond. Sephiroth stared, eyes wide at the woman.

“Two months? How?” the silverette gasped in stilted speech.

“It shows some identifiable fetal development but still clearly in its zygote phase,” the doctor explained and Cloud jerked upright, shocking the two in the room as he doubled over, water biting his eyes as his teeth grit. Oh, God. Oh, God why?

“Cloud,” Sephiroth said when his hand was released.

“It’s not possible,” Cloud gasped, his ears ringing as the heat in his body flared hotter, burning beneath his skin. “We weren’t having sex back then!” The room fell into tense silence before Sephiroth stood and the blonde felt hands on his shoulders, which only made his heart jerk harder in his chest.

“Did you have sex with someone else?” the woman asked and Cloud snapped a hard glare at her, unable to control himself as tears poured down his cheeks and his lips curled back, revealing the whites of his teeth.

“No! I was comatose! And we were already bonded!” he hissed and the hands on him squeezed.

“Cloud, take a breath, please,” Sephiroth said softly and Cloud put his face in his hands. The pressure swelled in his chest and rose up his throat until it broke out in a hard sob as his bony shoulders shook. The woman stared, reeling in her surprise before she looked over at the silverette and took another breath to calm her nerves.

“Cloud shouldn’t be two months pregnant. We only recently started having sex again,” Sephiroth seconded, wincing from the hiccuping sounds his mate made as his fingers started to knead the tight tendons and muscles in Cloud’s shoulders. The woman frowned, distress in her features.

“The fetus is too developed to be any less than two months,” the woman said before taking another breath, perhaps bracing herself for something.

“And I know that this is certainly upsetting news, but I’m afraid that we must remove the fetus as soon as possible,” she said, a careful steadiness put to her voice.

“Why?” Sephiroth asked as the violent sobbing finally ebbed and Cloud went suddenly quiet. His chest fucking hurt his heart raced so fast, but in place of the violent sobbing fit an anxious energy began to zip through the blonde, begging him to get up and run.

“It doesn’t have a heartbeat,” the doctor informed in a grave, tense voice and the blonde jerked, breath catching his throat while the hands on his shoulders suddenly tightened.

“What?” Sephiroth muttered in surprise.

“I don’t know how long it’s been like that, but I think it explains his pain. Honestly, Cloud’s in remarkably good healthy, considering. Perhaps the mako is helping to protect him from the bacteria and tissue damage. Regardless of when it was conceived, it needs to be removed as soon as possible. Otherwise it could severely impact Cloud’s health.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s) for this chapter: Unwanted/planned pregnancy discovery, pre-Stillbirth (meaning the baby is no longer living in-utero).


	7. The Dread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is dreading the procedure, but luckily he has Sephiroth and a curious nurse to help distract him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Wow, this segment is just difficult in general. I hope I'm handling it all right. DX Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and coming back. Thank you!
> 
> And thank you so much to Spicule for offering some help with giving me a little more realism to this. When I was first looking into how possible this scenario was I actually hadn't run across the bit of info they provided, which I used in here. So, thanks! I really appreciate suggestions to help improve the writing/story any time! ^_^
> 
> More breaking down of omega/alpha stuff! And a deeper dive into Cloud's second bite.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

The oppressive silence was broken by a tense growl that erupted from the patient on the table.

“Get rid of it,” Cloud grunted. Sephiroth leaned over to try and look at his mate’s face, but the blonde’s hands were in the way, his willowy shoulders tense.

“We can schedule you as soon as you’re ready,” the doctor offered, drawing both the silverette’s gaze and a sob from the back of Cloud’s throat. Quickly the silverette slid his left hand down to his bond’s upper back and rubbed circles into it.

“Right now,” Cloud blurted as he lowered his hands and lifted his face to show how already swollen and irritated his eyes looked from tears.

“Cloud, are you sure?” Sephiroth asked softly. “It must come out, but-”

“Hojo put it in me! I want it out now!” Cloud bellowed, lips trembling as he jerked the silverette’s hands off his shoulders as he heaved in deep breaths in an effort to calm himself before another sob hit the back of his throat, prompting his hands to slap over his face again as another wretched, strangled sound broke from his lips. “I didn’t wanna come here! Everything’s fucking ruined!”

“Cloud,” Sephiroth spoke softly, tenderly, but carefully as he stared down at his mate’s bony, quivering shoulders with a wince to his features. The woman gathered a steady breath and fixed the silverette with her gaze.

“We can schedule him for an emergency bisection,” she informed before reluctantly pulling her eyes toward Cloud’s back. “But before we do that, I would like to look at him with the ultrasound a little longer. I believe I saw something else that I would like to further examine, if that is alright with you?” The blonde remained still though he quieted again before taking a deep breath that could be seen from how his back moved. Sephiroth watched his mate, wanting to speak, but fearing being lashed at again, and so opted to gently place his left hand back onto the blonde’s thin shoulder which twitched, but did not shrug him off. Cloud’s hands slapped his thighs and he sniffled before his hands moved back behind him and he wordlessly laid back down.

“You’re going to do it, right?” the blonde asked as he laid down, puffy eyes staring anywhere but at the people over him. “Tonight?”

“I'll give a call to Dr. Redshire. Given the potential length of time you’ve carried the fetus I’m sure he’ll agree to come in,” the woman assured and Cloud finally pulled his eyes up to his doctor’s face.

“What if he won’t come?”

“I’ll call someone else. We’ll get it done tonight, I promise,” she said with a soft smile. Sephiroth settled into his chair again, watching as the doctor pulled the blonde’s wet shirt back up and spread some more gel over his skin while shakes assailed his mate’s smaller limbs. Cloud turned his face toward Sephiroth, a sad lookin his eyes as he lifted his quivering arm up and held out his hand, which his mate took immediately.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” the blonde said after a sniffle.

“It’s alright. This is… difficult,” Sephiroth said with a slight grimace in his choice of words, but unsure if he knew a better one that wouldn’t potentially upset his bond. Cloud turned his face away and looked back at his doctor as she pressed the device back to his belly.

“Sorry for snapping at you too,” he muttered and the woman smiled as she focused her eyes on the monitor while sliding the device across his skin.

“Well, looks like we’ve got what looks like some calcification here,” she said before she pointed up at the monitor and the duo looked to see a series of white clusters marring the image of the fetus and Cloud felt his stomach jolt violently, prompting him to look away as heat swelled his eyes again with a painful twist in his heart. He shouldn’t have looked.

“Okay, I can inform the doctor of this, which will help things on our end,” the doctor said as she retracted the device from the blonde’s belly and dropped it into its slot. Pushing it away the woman fixed Cloud with her gaze as she grabbed a tissue and wiped his belly clean.

“I’m going to let the nurses know what’s going on while I call our head obstetrician, Dr. Redshire, who is also experienced in male omega birth,” the woman said with another smile as she stood up from her chair while pulling her gloves off her hands.

“Dr… Breakshod, thank you,” Sephiroth said after carefully scanning her identification badge over her right breast and the brunette smiled.

“You’re welcome. I’ll leave you two to relax until a nurse comes to get you,” the doctor said as she opened the door and exited the room. Once alone, Cloud felt another wave of painful twisting in his chest and drew his lips between his teeth as his eyes grew hot and wet, blurring his vision. It was fucking unbelievable. A hellish nightmare. Taking in a breath that ended up stuttering violently and filling his chest more than intended, the blonde turned his head up to look at Sephiroth who looked lost in thought, troubled judging by the grave tension of his brow.

“Sephiroth?” The call of his name snapped a sense of presence to the silverette as his expression relaxed back into a cool calm before he turned his eyes down to his mate.

“How are you feeling?” Sephiroth asked as he scooted his chair down a little lower, ignoring the scrape of its legs across the linoleum before he sat down and grabbed Cloud’s right hand in both of his before rubbing the blonde’s palm and top of hand with his thumbs. The blonde felt a sudden irrational mix of hurt and anger at the question, his brow furrowing and lips twisting into a strong frown as he rolled over onto his side to face his mate, but his gaze focused on the silverette’s knee.

The two remained silent after that while Sephiroth settled into petting Cloud’s hair with his left hand while his right kept hold of the blonde’s. At some point the silverette’s knee began to bounce in short rapid movements, followed by the occasional sigh as his hand squeezed the blonde’s, but Cloud was too tired and upset to return the gesture. It must have been twenty minutes before the door opened and the same nurse that had taken them into the room returned with a wheelchair pushed in front of her.

“It’s time to wheel you to surgery,” the woman said and Cloud wordlessly sat up with his hands and scooted to the end of the table before settling his feet down, walked the few paces over and sat down in the chair, fighting another painful surge in his heart as Sephiroth stood up. He wanted to look up and see his mate’s face, but in the same thought he didn’t want to. It was too hard to see anyone’s face; he didn’t want to see how anyone looked at him. As soon as he was wheeled around though Cloud tensed and when his heart jumped in his chest he looked frantically toward Sephiroth, not really at his face, but at his figure. The silverette was at his side in a moment and Cloud grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight.

“Don’t leave me,” the blonde almost blubbered and his hand was squeezed in return.

“I’m not leaving you for a moment,” the silverette assured softly before the trio set off down the hall and pushed deeper into the actual hospital-esque part of the building that opened out into larger and brighter hallways. They followed signs and Cloud felt his throat clench when he realized they were going to the maternity ward. Heat swelled his eyes and the blonde found himself needing to try and control his breathing as his heart raced anxiously in his chest. He couldn’t believe it. How the fuck could everything go so sideways so fast? How could someone seriously do this to another human being? Bitterness welled up in Cloud and he fought with a surge of frustration and anger warring with grief. It wasn’t fucking fair. They were just nightmares, and they should have stayed that way. Once they pushed through the doors above which the large sign actually read Maternity, a nurse pushed from the wall in front of them and smiled at Cloud.

“Hello, Mr. Stride. Seth,” the woman greeted.

“I’ll be leaving you two in capable hands,” the nurse who had wheeled them in said as she pulled away, and before the woman in front of them could make her move to get behind the wheelchair Sephiroth had moved to stand behind the chair. Realizing what the silverette wanted, the blonde reluctantly released his hold and his mate took his place behind him. The woman smiled and took a spot at Cloud’s left.

“Let’s get going then,” she said with a gesture out and the new trio started forward. It was scarcely silent for more than a few seconds before a soft inhale caught the blonde’s left ear.

“Wait a minute,” the woman said as the wheelchair came to a stop and she walked out in front of Cloud and examined him, leaning from one side to the other before staring, surprised eyes on his face while the blonde stared, eyes wide and every muscle tense despite her calm demeanor.

“My God, you have two marks?” she asked, tempered astonishment in her voice and the blonde felt his heart hiccup, making him grimace. Her eyes slid up to Sephiroth as she moved out of the way back to Cloud’s left and the trio started moving again.

“I’ve never seen an omega marked by competing alpha venom and be healthy. That’s amazing,” the nurse said with a smile and a small, brief flutter of pride hit the blonde unexpectedly, causing a twitch in his lips. Maybe he could use this as a distraction, he really needed one. Any subject would do as long as it didn’t have anything to do with babies.

“I’m afraid both are by me,” Sephiroth admitted, drawing a look from the nurse.

“Really? I have never actually heard of an alpha having two shots in him. Though there have been stranger things observed in nature,” the woman said, truly intrigued. “The only time I’ve ever seen an omega with two bites is from competing alphas who got carried away. And it doesn’t end well,” the woman explained, her voice losing the bounce it had. “Usually the omega ends up dying despite the doctors’ best attempts,” she explained and Cloud swallowed as he stared at the woman, focusing perhaps too intently on her.

“It kills them?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m afraid the brain simply cannot process all that venom, or, I suppose, perhaps competing venom, hm, it would be so good for us to learn more about omegas. From lab tests we do know that when two different alpha venoms interact it becomes very violent biological warfare under the microscope. I’ve honestly never heard of an alpha being able to mark more than once. I’ve seen alphas wail like babies when they miss their shot, and it’s actually quite heartbreaking, even if some of them asked for it.”

“How do they miss?” Cloud asked, genuinely not sure how anyone could not snap into an omegas neck, if it were exposed. The woman turned a somewhat regretful smile toward Cloud, regretful on the behalf of those whom he asked about.

“Fist fights usually if it’s not a military or car accident,” Sephiroth answered from behind. “Fist fights are the most common.”

“Exactly how does that work exactly? They get hit in a bad spot?” the blonde asked.

“Yes. If they are punched or struck in specific areas around the back of the jaw or neck, it can trigger a bite reaction and venom will be released into, well, nothing. It’s imperative in those situations that they do not swallow if any gets into their mouth and go straight to an E.R. Same goes for if they suspect that their venom sack has been blown,” the nurse explained as they stopped outside of a set of double doors.

“Sounds like it’s toxic,” Cloud muttered and the nurse nodded.

“Very. It will kill an alpha if it gets into the bloodstream or is swallowed, though we do have an anti-venom that is very effective if not administered too late,” the nurse said as she directed them in through the doors and into a small prep room that pulled the blonde from his distraction and plunged him back into the current reality of what he was about to do. Cloud stared at the gurney with wide eyes and a suddenly pale face, heart racing hard in his chest as he gripped the armrests tight. Sephiroth moved and slid an arm around his mate’s shoulders, and with no real prodding from the silverette at all, Cloud turned and pushed his face into his bond’s chest as his hands grabbed the lapels of his duster. It was silent for a long moment before the nurse finally moved and started to pull out a couple things that weren’t already on the counter.

“We’re going to need you to change your clothes and we’ll be cleaning your stomach with anti-bacterial right now. The doctor will clean you again before he begins,” The nurse explained softly.

“Will it be this Dr. Redshire we heard about?” Sephiroth asked quietly as he curled over Cloud a little in some attempt at comfort, and the blonde quivered.

“Yes, he’s already in and getting ready,” the nurse said.

“S-Sephiroth,” the blonde gasped while swallowing down another sob that wanted to break free from his chest. “Talk more, please.” Grief twisted the silverette’s face for a moment as he pressed a kiss to the top of his bond’s head, burying his nose into blonde spikes and taking a deep inhale of his familiar, attractive scent.

“I don’t know what to say,” Sephiroth admitted, his voice tight.

“How about you change up, and we can continue,” the nurse said softly, wanting to urge her charge to move but also wanting to ease his discomfort. Cloud clutched tighter for a moment as a strong quiver of tension lanced up his arms before he finally heaved a sigh and let Sephiroth go and withdrew. The silverette leaned back as the blonde slowly rose to his feet and started to pull at his shirt, shivering again with a muttered curse. At that moment the nurse stepped out of the room while Sephiroth straightened up immediately and wrapped his arms around his mate. Immediately Cloud welcomed the help as he lifted his arms and his shirt was pulled off over his head. Without waiting for any direction Sephiroth grabbed the gown and the blonde slid his arms inside the shoulders before the silverette tied it at his back while Cloud got his pants off.

“Do I take my boxers off too?” he asked and Sephiroth paused a moment in thought before stepping over and popping his head out the door to find their nurse waiting.

“Is he done?” she asked.

“Does he need to remove his boxers? I figure yes even though he’s male,” the silverette asked and the woman nodded.

“He’ll need to be naked from the waist down,” the woman said and Sephiroth nodded as he pulled himself back into the room and looked at Cloud.

“No boxers,” he stated and the blonde nodded as he pulled them off and kicked them off his feet before he climbed up onto the gurney and laid on his back. Once settled, the silverette poked his head out again.

“He’s done,” he said and their nurse smiled as she stepped from the side of the doors and entered behind Sephiroth while the silverette joined his mate’s side again. Grabbing a thin, folded blanket from the counter top the woman smiled as she unfolded it before tucking it around the blonde’s legs.

“I’ll need you to lift your gown and cover your hips,” their nurse informed and Cloud did as instructed, hiding his privates while the woman turned away and gathered the bottle of soap and sponge she needed.

“Ready?” she asked after she wet the disposable sponge.

“Yeah,” the blonde answered and the woman turned around and soaped up his stomach, inducing another spiteful twist in his heart, and Cloud turned his face away as he bit down on his bottom lip. Sephiroth’s hand settled in his mate’s hair as his fingertips gently rubbed his scalp as his own head settled down on top of his bond’s, his long hair spilling around him in a curtain. Cloud sighed in relief for the ability to hide even though he could feel the sponge rubbing over his aching belly, scrubbing him before it came left and returned more wet, probably washing the soap off of him. A soft rag was rubbed over him then, drying him and the blonde shuddered as heat swelled his sore eyes.

“Did you know why an alpha is compelled to bite?” the nurse asked conversationally. Sephiroth shifted, and perhaps he realized the comfort his mate found in his hair, because he was careful to keep the curtain over the blonde’s face and shoulders, even pulling more hair forward as he did so.

“Scent, the scent of an aroused omega,” Sephiroth answered above Cloud’s head.

“Well, yes, but do you know why you feel compelled to bite from that?” their nurse asked. The silverette quieted a moment before answering, perhaps reflecting on his experience.

“Wanting to make mine,” he answered and the woman chuckled softly as a small, unexpected warmth soothed Cloud’s chest a bit, warring with his anxiety. Keep talking, all he wanted was for them to keep talking. 

“Exactly. When an alpha injects his venom into an omega, it changes their scent, allowing the alpha to stake his claim over his other half,” she said.

“Yes. The alpha will smell himself in his omega and other alphas in turn will smell another alpha’s claim on the marked omega, and the bite serves as a good visual que for alphas whose noses don’t pick up on the pheromone change,” Sephiroth answered.

“Amazing, isn’t it? How some alphas can smell an omega but can’t smell a marked one? Many of those alphas also tend to have some other sense of smell issues by the way,” their nurse said with a soft bubbly laugh while she pulled the blanket up over Cloud’s waist. “You can push your gown down now if you want to,” she instructed the blonde who slid his hands underneath his blanket and did so. “So, I was thinking, what was it that could have made you want to bite him again. I’ll take you having an extra shot of venom as just one of those unusual biological variances. But, why would you feel the need to bite him again? And why is Cloud still healthy? Though I suppose one answer to that could be that as long as it’s not competing venom the omega will be fine. So, let’s focus on my first quandary,” the woman said and a soft chuckle passed from above the blonde’s head. Cloud relaxed, intent to listen and not think about anything other than what was honestly, a good question and the sound of his mate's voice.

“So, we got an alpha who has marked his mate. The primal part of his brain recognizes his mate instantly without even conscious thought, and the omega will respond in kind. So, why would this pair need to have another bite if they recognized each other? Crave each other? I can only imagine that somehow the omega’s scent changed so much that the alpha didn’t smell himself on his mate as he should, and thus there is a loss of connection,” their nurse informed.

“Cloud was exposed to mako and succumbed to mako poisoning. I noticed he smelled different and thought I could get used to it since I figured the smell of mako would never cease,” Sephiroth answered and Cloud frowned, tension filling his chest again in memory of another terrible time not too far back. When was he ever going to get a fucking break? The last thing he wanted was to have that brought up again.

“Ah! Interesting indeed! So, as I surmised! He smelled different! He didn’t smell right to you!” the woman said.

“It seems so. It truly did upset me, but I hardly thought of it as a selfish feeling,” Sephiroth said.

“Oh, you weren’t being selfish, you were being instinctual. The primordial part of your brain knew your mate had been altered. And I have to say, you’re super lucky to have been able to mark him again, of course, I would say the opposite if Cloud had been actually poisoned by it. But, he’s fine there, so we can look at that and appreciate how amazing it was for you to be able to reclaim him. Emotionally you two were still a pair of course, but your chemistry has been strengthened with the renewing of your bond. Cloud smells right now, doesn’t he?” the woman asked.

“I honestly hadn’t noticed. I thought I’d already gotten used to the mako smell. But perhaps it’s more of my animal side being satisfied with the fact that my mate smells of me like he should,” Sephiroth said, clearly interested in the topic. A small smile tugged at Cloud’s tired lips. Well, at least that was good news. A man popped his cap covered head in then and looked at all the occupants in the room, tearing away the small bit of stabilization the blonde was clinging to when he interrupted the conversation before his eyes settled on the woman who immediately stood at attention and walked over to him.

“Linda, we’re going to need you,” the man said and their nurse nodded before the man looked over at Sephiroth, and then looked pointedly at the feathered appendage folded behind his back.

“Can you remove that and get ready to get into scrubs? Or are you not coming in?” the man asked and Sephiroth straightened up and glanced at his shoulder, a scowl coming to his features as the two medical staff stared at him.

“I can’t. It’s not an accessory. Perhaps you can find some way to cover it up,” the silverette said, a frustrated edge to his voice at having to deal with people’s responses to his body yet again. The two stared for a moment before Linda turned toward the man and smiled.

“I’ll look for something to help him, after I help you,” she said and with a nod the man pulled from the door and Linda followed him after giving the duo a wave and speaking.

“Just wait here and relax. We’ll wheel you out when it’s time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who likes horror I have a Seph/Cloud fic I'm working on for October... even though it's already being posted. lol
> 
> It's located here: [ Haunting of The Dolls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26617423/chapters/64900702) For anyone curious.


	8. Finally Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finally goes through his bisection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! The Halloween/October pause on Bind It is over! ^_^ I will still be working on Haunting of The Dolls, but it's no longer my only focus. 
> 
> This chapter was hard for me to figure out how I wanted to write. Hopefully I wrote it all alright. It's short, but it finishes this particular event.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has been following, commenting, and leaving kudos! I hope that you all enjoy this new chapter!

After having his blood taken by a nurse and Sephiroth was instructed to wash up and suit up with some extra for his unusual appendage, Cloud found himself struggling to keep himself distracted and calm. At war with himself he struggled to find some way of calming his nerves. He didn’t want to be cut open, to be anywhere near an operating table, and to think of the cost on top of it. Though his mate didn’t seem to have any apprehension about money, the blonde found it to be just another source of stress especially right after buying a house and still needing to furnish it. But despite all that, he just didn’t want to bear anything that he had never once given his consent to. The sooner it was removed, the better. There was no way it was Sephiroth’s, not unless Hojo had a stock of his mate’s sperm to use, which he seriously doubted. Even then, it didn’t matter, he had never consented, had never agreed to be used as a breeding machine for the man’s sick machinations no matter what they may have ultimately been. Who knew what else Hojo had done to him, and the thought alone curdled his blood. Cloud had never met the man and already an intense hatred and fear was sewing deep inside of him.

“I’m back,” Sephiroth declared when he stepped back into the small room, covered from head to toe- even his hair was bundled up beneath his cap, and the blonde’s forced smile twitched away when his heart twisted anxiously in his chest. The silverette stepped up to the bed his mate lay in and gently took one of Cloud’s hands into his own as he leaned down to capture and hold the blonde’s gaze.

“I will be right here with you. Once this is all over, you can relax in our new home. You will get to have everything your way for a while,” Sephiroth promised and despite the comfort his mate tried to place in his words, Cloud felt more frustrated than soothed. He shouldn’t be having to do this. He shouldn’t have ever been kidnapped in the first place. If he hadn’t been, then he’d still be in Midgar, living together with his mate in his apartment where things would play out as expected. Sephiroth wouldn’t be a deserter, and Cloud an escaped specimen. Everything that was wrong starting from the very beginning with Omega Square rooted back to Hojo. The doors opened, pulling Cloud was his turbulent thoughts as the nurse who had given the blonde his welcomed distraction emerged with a smile.

“It’s time,” she said as she walked in with the male nurse who had pulled her away. When they neared the blonde’s bed his mate stepped aside as the wheels were unlocked and he began to move. Anxiety rocketed through the blonde as his eyes snapped to his bond’s face, who nodded at him as he took up stride by the bed as they wheeled Cloud down the hall a short distance until he was turned in through another set of double doors into a brightly lit room. And he couldn’t help but tense, hands grabbing the rails of the bed as he was wheeled up to a tray table with a bright light overhead where a couple doctors in protective scrubs stood talking and examining equipment.

“Hello, Mr. Stride. I’m Dr. Redshire,” a man greeted as he stepped up the bed and the blonde stared at him, too tense to give a proper response. Perhaps the man noticed because he turned his gaze to Sephiroth who had taken up a spot on the right side of Cloud’s bed. “You are his bond?” he asked and the silverette nodded.

“I am. I’m afraid my mate is very anxious about the procedure, is there some way of helping him relax?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud jerked his face over to his mate, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. He didn’t want drugs, but he didn’t want to see or feel anything either.

“We do have a screen that we can erect,” Dr. Redshire informed as he looked down at Cloud who met his gaze, perhaps looking as intrepid as he felt. “Your mate will be able to check in on us if he wants to. Would you like the screen? It can also help keep your hands away too,” the doctor said and the blonde nodded, voice dead on his lips.

“Alright then, we’ll do that. We’ll disinfect your belly and numb you. It’s a simple procedure and should be over in an hour total,” Dr. Redshire said and Cloud finally relinquished his hold on the bed rails and folded his arms over his stomach before he directed his eyes down to the side. “Just try to relax,” the doctor said as Sephiroth’s hand settled onto his mate’s shoulder, drawing anxious blue eyes up to concerned green.

“I’ll be right here with you,” his bond said as a fabric barrier was pulled up on a wire frame across his ribs, leaving his belly completely on the other side, invisible, and Cloud felt his heart surge in his chest. Perhaps the barrier hadn’t been such a good idea. The hand on his shoulder squeezed and the blonde swallowed as he pushed himself into his pillows, brow tensed. Each second that ticked by the greater the tension in him grew until Cloud was nearly dizzy as his gown was lifted up and something was rubbed over his belly, wiping him down. He was naked, he was fucking exposed and more vulnerable than he’d ever been aware of.

“They’re just cleaning you up,” Sephiroth said, jerking Cloud’s eyes to his mate who pulled back from leaning over the screen to see what was happening on the other side. His mate then turned a soft, comforting smile his way as he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to Cloud’s forehead. The blonde frowned, not all soothed by his mate’s intentions as hands continued to touch and sponges were rubbed over his belly. Cloud held his hand out, and immediately the silverette spotted and took it into his own.

“We’re going to numb you now. Would you like me to tell you each step as we do them?” Dr. Redshire asked and the blonde shook his head before he was able to force his voice to make words.

“Just tell me if something is weird,” Cloud said, tension in his voice. 

It took only fifteen minutes before they officially began after numbing his body from the waist down through an injection he received in his forehead which had been more alarming to see than feel. Thanks to that he could feel nothing as the work began, but still the blonde squeezed Sephiroth’s hand as hard as he could. Dr. Redshire ended up really only telling Cloud when they located and began removing the calcified infant that the doctor confirmed to be about the stage of development that Dr. Breakshod had surmised it to be. Dr. Redshire took particular note of the stage of calcification when he informed the pair that the child most likely died about a year before judging by the level of calcification and color. And it all… felt unreal. It was happening too fast, painlessly so with the tension in his muscles and the stress that burned through him. It felt like it shouldn’t be real, but no matter how detached Cloud felt, his grip on Sephiroth’s hand was like a vice while his blood rushed in his ears, making him dizzy as he lay in the bed, jaw tense for the amazingly short duration of the extraction. Within fifteen or so minutes Dr. Redshire informed the duo that they were going to close Cloud up. The actual sewing process took the longest, which only prolonged the blonde’s anxiety, culminating into a roughly half hour of waiting impatiently with stress laden thoughts for the announcement that it was over to be given. And then Dr. Redshire stood up before he gave a small smile to the blonde over the screen.

“All done,” the doctor said as he stepped away, and the look of bright red splashed over the muted colors of the protective clothing and gloves made Cloud’s heart slam into his chest, muscles tensing as his ears suddenly gave into a ring before he jerked his eyes away. He had not seen so much blood since… not since he’d stabbed Sephiroth, and this time it was his own. It was disconcerting to see so much of it and not feel any pain or trauma he would naturally expect to see with so much of his own blood. Cloud was gently cleaned again and his gown was pushed down before the screen came away and everyone broke away to dispose of dirty items and clean up while another nurse walked over to Cloud and gave a reassuring smile to the pair when they looked at her, the blonde feeling even more dizzy with all the movement. The nurse informed them that they would be wheeled to a place where Cloud could rest where she asked if the blonde needed anything. When he refused she smiled softly and walked away.

A couple minutes later the blonde’s bed was wheeled out from the operating room after he was given another once over. He was taken back to the urgent care center and wheeled into a spot in a large room housing four beds on either side for a total of eight where a privacy curtain was pulled around him. No one spoke to him, he was barely even looked at as the men and women worked to get his wheels locked and IV drip in order. Sephiroth remained at his side, constant and a much needed presence. The nurse that had become friendly with them appeared again and the blonde gave a smaller, more earnest smile, happy to see a familiar face. 

“Everything went well,” Linda said and a loud sigh of relief broke from Cloud’s lips before he’d even realized he’d needed it or wanted to. “Would you like to take the remains home?” she asked, and the posed question caused a swell of tension in the blonde’s chest that seized his hard hitting heart as he looked away, as if pulled by some unknown force. It was silent for a moment, and he just knew he was being looked at. Cloud sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, guilt and uncertainty warring inside him. He didn’t want it. It wasn’t a child he had chosen to have. But it was still his, a part of him. He wanted to burn it, throw it away, but then he couldn’t quite embrace the idea, instead wondering if he could just bury it somewhere. It wasn’t the child’s fault, though the thought alone brought a horrible bitterness to his tongue. Perhaps sensing the tension among the pair Linda spoke up, voice soft and careful.

“We can hold onto it. Or you can donate it to science. Either way, you can take your time in your decision,” she said with an encouraging smile that Cloud just managed to dare himself to look at before she left the closed off space. 

Another nurse came in about fifteen minutes later and Cloud was given a quick examination before answering some questions on how he felt physically while his mate found a chair and finally sat down after being relieved of his scrubs since Cloud was going to have to wait for the drugs in his system to abate before he could go home. _Home._ The idea made his heart twinge in longing. He wanted to go back to their home, to be safe in the place that they were going to make their safe haven away from anyone and anything that could bother them. After the nurse left with her jotted down notes, exhaustion began to rapidly settle into Cloud’s bones and droop his eyes as he sagged into the bedding. He wanted to go home, to be surrounded by the smell of his mate, and the tug at his heart with the thought made his eyes warm. He glanced up at Sephiroth, who was looking down at his feet it seemed, though his hand was on the rail of the bed, his profile looking lost in thought. There was a distressed line to his brow, lips down turned as he stared, distracted from the world.

“Sephiroth?” Cloud called softly, voice trembling when a surge of unwelcome emotion flooded him. They were finally alone. It was finally over. His mate’s shoulder’s tensed, eyes widening a fraction for a second before he turned his face and those beautiful cat-like eyes fixed on his face. The blonde’s bottom lip trembled, bows tensing up with the growing desire to wrap his arms around the silverette and be wrapped up in those powerful, long arms in return.

“Do you need anything?” Sephiroth asked softly, voice unsure, but surprisingly level despite the tense look on his face. Pain pinched at Cloud’s heart again. Sephiroth had been so calm, so quiet through the entire ordeal. Perhaps it was his military training, or a natural facet of his personality, but he had turned himself into a rock, a sturdy foundation. He had almost made himself scarce in presence the entire time, yet he remained a calming force at Cloud’s side, quietly observing and letting himself be used as a lifeline for the blonde. And it made Cloud’s heart ache all the more. Sephiroth was more than he deserved, and yet, he was surely suffering behind that aloof mask. The little tidbits were giving him away, and the blonde hated himself for not knowing what to do, and regretting he could only seem to think about himself and how he felt throughout the entire ordeal.

“You okay?” Cloud finally asked and a mild look of surprise crossed his mate’s face before his eyes dropped to his hand, long fingers curled around the rail before they relaxed and he looked at the blonde again as he slid his hand forward and settled it into soft, bed mussed golden spikes.

“I am fine. I’m worried about you is all. This has been quite a day,” Sephiroth said, and for the briefest of a moment there was a slip, a slight tremor to his voice that was gone the instant it birthed itself into the air. Cloud’s hand was heavy, but persistent as he lifted it and put it on his head with Sephiroth’s, taking hold of the long fingered appendage. When their fingers interlocked, the silverette lowered his hand, even though it put his elbow up at an odd angle over the rail when their hands settled on Cloud’s pillow, but he did not relinquish his hold, and the blonde held on.

“I want to go home. I want to,” the blonde said before choking, realizing it was a little awkward to say the next words, but it was what he wanted, right at that moment, more than anything, “I want to curl up with you and just forget everything for a while,” Cloud finally forced out as hot pressure filled his eyes and after a second a slow, solitary nod was his reward.

“Me too,” Sephiroth said, his voice almost a whisper, a tender one that was hard to discern all the emotion behind despite the calmness of his face.


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud goes through his recovery, wadingthrough moodiness and depression while pushing Sephiroth away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! New chapter out! The depressing part of this segment is pretty much wrapped up after this chapter! Yay! lol 
> 
> I very much hope everyone enjoys this new chapter! I struggled with some segments in how I wanted to write it, hopefully it all came out all right.
> 
> Not beta'd yet, but will be soon!
> 
> There are no additional warnings or anything for this chapter. Just Cloud and Sephiroth trying to figure out how to go about their lives now that they've dealt with the bisection, with the addition of a sweet/cute moment or two.

Once the pair were given another visit by their attending doctor with explicit instructions for Cloud to not lift anything heavy, or anything from the floor for the first couple days. Being told he would need to hold his lower belly should he need to cough or sneeze for the next couple days was actually somewhat alarming, but their doctor was all smiles and assurances as she spoke. Since male omegas healed so rapidly he was expected to be fully recovered in a week, and due to the nature of his dissolvable stitches, Cloud didn’t need to return for a month unless he were to develop a fever, pain persisted, or he had some other issue directly related to his surgery. Sephiroth listened quietly, face stony as he took in the information at his mate’s side, and when Cloud regained a good deal of sensation he was loaded up into a wheelchair and taken to the front while his mate stopped at the counter to pay for the entire procedure. The blonde waited, anxious in his seat until the silverette returned and knelt at his side, smiling softly as he brushed some stray strands of Cloud’s bangs from his forehead.

“I’ll carry you home. Then we can try and sleep,” Sephiroth said softly, and the blonde nodded as he lifted his arms up and wrapped them around his bond’s neck as one hand slid beneath his thighs and another wrapped around his back.

“Do you need us to call a cab?” a nurse asked when she walked up to the duo to take the wheelchair and Sephiroth gave the woman a small smile.

“It’ll be fine. It’s a small town, it won’t be hard. Unless,” the silverette paused and directed his eyes to Cloud who had put his head on his bond’s shoulder, tired.

“Are you in pain? Would you rather sit in a cab than be carried all the way back?” The blonde wordlessly shook his head, unwilling to speak thanks to the tightness he could feel in his throat. With that, Sephiroth bid the woman farewell and the two stepped through the sliding doors and into the frigid air of the coming dawn. Cloud shuddered, skin prickling in the cold as his mate walked down the sidewalk leading to the parking lot.

“It’s chilly. Are you okay?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde heaved a sigh.

“Yeah, I’m from Nibelheim, remember? Cold’s not a big deal,” Cloud muttered, words slightly stuttering as his teeth chattered despite his assurance.

“We’ll be home soon where we can bundle up,” Sephiroth said and the blonde nodded silently as they went on their way, down the hill, down streets, then up again to where their quaint little house sat. Looking at it in the gray dawn, Cloud couldn’t believe that just twelve hours before he had been removing wax from floors, talking about buying furniture, all normal, exciting things. And yet, overnight his entire world had transformed. He wasn’t just an omega who had been experimented on which admittedly wasn’t normal, but it was in his past, but he’d been pregnant, and he’d just birthed a stillborn that had apparently been dead for quite some time.

“I’ll pick your medicine up later today, are you hungry?” Sephiroth asked, interrupting Cloud’s churning thoughts when they walked up the steps to their wrap around porch and his mate maneuvered him to reach his hand into his jacket pocket.

“I can stand you know,” the blonde declared, catching sight of his mate’s wing twitching at his side when he finally pulled the house keys from his pocket.

“I know. You’re not helpless. But this is the least I can do. I was absolutely useless all night, so I’d like to be able to baby you for at least a while, if you’re not horribly opposed,” Sephiroth stated and Cloud frowned, feeling a pull at his heart. He knew his mate had been struggling, that cold, aloof look was most likely because the silverette didn’t know what to do, and so he just remained in place, withdrawn but present. Perhaps it was his way of keeping himself calm and together. The simple act of carrying him was the only thing Sephiroth had been able to physically do other than hold hands throughout the bisection. Cloud frowned and released a soft breath as the door opened and his mate stepped inside before closing the barrier behind him.

The house was dark, chilly, and silent in the low light of dawn, and with no lamps purchased they had only the kitchen light, which the silverette walked over toward and flipped on to give some scant light in the house before he turned from it and walked across the living room, down the short hallway and stepped into their bedroom. Sephiroth carefully lowered into a kneel and Cloud released his hold on his bond to lean back on his hands, pain prickling through his belly for a moment which drew a hiss from his lips as he crawled back and laid down. His mate stood up and walked over toward the corner of the room where their lantern had been stowed and turned it on before placing it by Cloud’s side of the bed before he left the room only to return a moment later after turning the kitchen light off.

“Ready to get some sleep?” Sephiroth asked as he began unbuckling his boots and kicking them off his feet by the doorway before working his pants off his legs. Cloud watched, exhaustion tugging at him to the point he felt sleep deprived, adrenaline inducing a shaking hum through his muscles as his body tried to do all it could to keep him moving. Once Sephiroth was down to his briefs he dropped to his knees and crawled over to the blonde on the mattress who lay on his back, unwilling, and almost unable to move as the silverette settled onto his side and pressed up against Cloud’s side. The two shared a smile as the blonde lifted his arm, hand cupping his mate’s cheek before Sephiroth’s left hand lifted up and cupped over Cloud’s own.

“You’re keeping the jacket on?” the blonde asked, his smile curving into a slightly more teasing look.

“Getting out of my jacket be damned this morning. I’ll sleep in it. Besides, it’ll help keep us warmer,” Sephiroth informed and a soft chuckle passed Cloud’s lips. Now that things had calmed down, and the energy that must have been supporting Sephiroth draining, the blonde could already see the dark bags forming under his mate’s eyes, and he was sure he looked the same. There was a weariness to the planes of the silverette’s face, and with a heavy sigh, Cloud let his arm drop as he shifted his head on his pillow while Sephiroth let the limb rest easily on the blonde’s chest. Scooting in as close as he was able to, the silverette curled somewhat around Cloud and put his head down on the end of his mate’s pillow and his own.

“I love you, Cloud,” Sephiroth muttered, voice growing deeper, more gravely with his need to sleep.

“I love you too,” Cloud said, his heart fluttering in his chest despite his exhaustion as he closed his eyes.

~~~~~

There was an erratic beep piercing into his ears, forcing Cloud awake. His eyes fluttered open, body stiff as green water suddenly burned his eyes, searing him with pain. It was too hot, like the acid of a battery searing across his flesh and pouring into his body, and without any thought to it his mouth opened wide inside the mask pumping air against his face to scream. He couldn’t even hear it as the burning pain stabbed through his belly, and only in his struggles did Cloud realize that the green of his blurred vision was being tainted with deep red. People were running, incomprehensible shouts muffling through the water in his ears as the burning pain in his belly spread, almost like it was exploding from his insides. And then, suddenly, he was lethargic, body tingling and rapidly going numb as his eyelids grew heavy, too heavy to keep open. The pain dulled rapidly with his waning consciousness until everything faded to darkness.

When Cloud woke, it was in an intense daze. His eyes were covered and he found his back pressed to something hard beneath him. A table, his bare skin was pressed to a table.

“We lost this one,” a man’s voice said and panic assaulted the blonde’s heart.

“We’ll have plenty of chances. Sew him up and we’ll put him back in his tube. He’ll heal in there faster than in any bed,” another voice, this one more scratchy, more… slimy said.

“The specimen is awake, professor,” another voice somewhere around Cloud’s head said.

“So then knock him out, idiot.” And within seconds Cloud found his mind swimming, spiraling into nothingness. And then he woke, eyes opening up to a dark ceiling.

With a slight grimace, the blonde slid his eyes around the room, his brain registering the familiarity of the bedroom. Right, the bedroom he shared with his mate in Costa Del Sol. And as soon as the notion hit him he paused, realizing he had woken up with a start, but he wasn’t sure why. Did he have a dream? Wake from a noise? But, as he lay there, Cloud became increasingly aware of the silence of not only the bedroom, but the entirety of the house. And it was dark too. Sniffing the air and he could smell his alpha’s scent smothering the mattress, but something about it felt cold… old, he realized. Struggling up onto his hands to sit up, Cloud squinted down the short dark hall, but he could see nothing but darkness. Was he alone? 

Confused and with growing concern, Cloud struggled upright, wincing when sharp pain burned down his belly, leading him to cup it before he crawled forward onto his knees, one hand to his stomach as he stood up carefully. He may not have needed to be so careful, but paranoia over the idea of splitting back open was enough to make the blonde overly cautious. Now on his feet he walked down the hall and peered into the living room, which was indeed very dark. Was it night time? How long did he sleep? Walking through the room to the kitchen Cloud flipped the ceiling light on to give some visibility and glanced back around the living space, but there was nothing to see. Did Sephiroth go somewhere?

Hand still over his stomach more as a security blanket than anything, the blonde walked over toward the front door and opened it, finding only the bottom lock was in use, which made it all the more likely that his mate had stepped out. To where? Concern trembled his heart as he looked out at the world of Costa Del Sol as quiet as he had left it, and dark. But unlike before the air was warmer, signaling that it was freshly darkened night, rather than pre-dawn. Stepping out onto the porch Cloud paused and gazed around at the warm lights of the town and homes around him.

And just as the sound of boots caught his ears, a scent wafted into his nose, fluttering his heart and pulling his eyes down the steps to the short paved walkway leading to their front door.

“Cloud?” Sephiroth stood a few yards down the walkway, dressed in his familiar military gear and even armed with Masamune with his wing folded neatly against his back. Cloud turned entirely toward the silverette and started for the stairs, but his mate walked up the pathway and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, removing the blonde’s need to descend them as their gazes locked.

“Is everything alright?” Sephiroth asked.

“You were gone and I was wondering where you went to,” Cloud answered and the silverette nodded as he walked up the steps and stopped in front of his bond. A strong smell permeated the blonde’s nose then, especially strong now that his bond was so close. Blood, sweat, and leather filled his nose, drawing blue eyes to the sheathed Masamune. Sephiroth followed his gaze and lifted his right hand, cupping Cloud’s cheek and drawing those same eyes up to his face.

“I found out that there was a reward for some monster slaying in town. So I did a little mercenary work to blow off some steam,” Sephiroth said, a strained smile on his lips as he lowered his hand and then walked past Cloud to the front door.

“Let’s go in and I’ll make you a sandwich or something. Surely that’s not too hard,” the silverette informed and the blonde frowned as his mate held out his left arm, beckoning him. And when Cloud went into it, he was enveloped in the limb. Once in, Sephiroth locked the door and leaned Masamune near it before he guided the blonde to the kitchen where the light remained on and left him to go to the fridge and pull out the food he must have bought at some point during the day. Cloud leaned against the counter by the stove as he watched the proud and sublime Sephiroth pull out bread, ham slices, cheese, and even condiments from the fridge, going to the counter space on the other side of the stove to start making something before grabbing a butter knife, all while dressed in his military garb. Was Sephiroth ever meant to be so domestic?

“You needed to blow off steam?” Cloud asked and his mate paused, as if caught doing something wrong.

“Yes,” he answered dismissively as he started smearing mayo over the bread. Sephiroth wasn’t even asking if Cloud liked mayo; he probably hadn’t thought about it. Because he wasn’t used to doing such things.

“About what?” the blonde asked, feeling tension fill his chest.

“Things I can’t control. And since I can’t control them, I went to blow off some steam,” Sephiroth answered, voice a little more clipped. Cloud felt a strain in his heart as he lifted his left hand up from his stomach and placed it on his mate’s covered bicep.

“Please, Sephiroth, talk to me. I’m worrying now,” the blonde pleaded and a heavy sigh passed from Sephiroth's lips before he stopped what he was doing and leaned on his gloves hands against the edge of the counter, head dropping down. It was silent for a long, drawn out moment.

“I… I don’t want to worry you,” Sephiroth said and fear began to wiggle into the growing pit of anxiety in the blonde’s heart.

“You worry me by saying nothing. Is it Jenova?”

“No. I haven’t been hearing her,” Sephiroth answered, a bit of a bite coming to his words in the middle of his statement before softening again, as if he had decided to reign himself in.

“Then what?” Cloud pressed careful with his tone. A hiss passed from the silverette’s lips.

“I don’t know what to do,” Sephiroth said with a bit of grit before heaving an agitated sigh. “Cloud, I wanted to protect you. It’s why I was so draconian and always pestering you about safety. But despite all that, all my efforts were in vain. I failed to keep you safe. And now… all our suffering-”

“It’s not your fault!” Cloud gasped, heart racing with a rush of adrenaline, which only increased when his mate’s weary gaze looked at him. Sephiroth looked so worn down, forlorn even. Why was he taking it all on his own shoulders?

“I know, realistically it’s not. But I can’t seem to help it. As soon as I realized I liked you, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to protect you from everything. Even though I know I was being overbearing. And yet, despite all that, you were taken from me. And you were hurt beyond measure. I,” Sephiroth suddenly stopped talking, almost looking like he was going to backtrack on saying something before he spoke again.

“I thought to use this wing of mine, I really did. I thought to fly back to Midgar and stab Masamune through Hojo until he is nothing but rags,” Sephiroth admitted, anger tightening his voice as his hands gripped the counter until his gloves squeaked. “I still want to, so badly I feel like I might burst apart at the seams. But, I know I shouldn’t. So, I went for a walk, ready to kill some monsters outside of town. Instead I ended up fulfilling a mercenary request, but that was coincidental. I just really wanted to kill something. If I can’t kill Hojo, then some poor beast will have to do.” Cloud closed the short space between them and nudged his arms against his mate’s sides, prompting the man to turn in his arms and accept a hug as the blonde pushed his face into his mate’s chest, inhaling deep his wonderful scent with the mix of combat.

It hurt, his heart was aching in his chest, as he knew, Sephiroth was hurting. They were both hurting. And Sephiroth had a tendency to have violent thoughts on what should be done to resolve problems, as he’d demonstrated so many times in the past. And this time was no different. But this time it was more likely than ever that he would actually act on those thoughts. However, if Sephiroth went back to Midgar he could be caught, he could be harmed, or worse. And that was not a risk Cloud wanted to take. He needed his mate right here, right at his side. They were going to make this new start work, dammit.

“You belong here, with me,” Cloud declared firmly, stubbornly. “Don’t you dare go anywhere. I won’t forgive you if something bad happened to you. I wish I knew how to help you reconcile with yourself, but you did your best. I can’t remember at all what happened the day I was taken, but I’m sure you didn’t do anything to cause it. I probably did something all on my own. And the only one truly to blame is Hojo. And even then, if you go after him, we might bring more misfortune upon ourselves. I want to have the happy life we planned to have here, not endlessly chase the past,” Cloud said, resolve thick in his words as his mate’s arms wrapped around him and the blonde felt the feathery swipes of his mate’s third appendage join in the embrace, blocking out most of the light from overhead. Lifting his head and carefully lifting his hands, Cloud found and cupped Sephiroth's face, pulling it down until their lips could meet in a kiss.

“So, can we try? Officially, can we let it all go? The last remnant of what Hojo did to me is gone now, right? So let’s do this. Let’s try this peaceful, bonded life. And we can try and see if we can get pregnant, okay? If not, there’s always adoption,” Cloud said, and after a stretch of silence that started to grow uncomfortable, his lips were kissed again and the arms around him pulled him a little tighter, not too tight, but enough to convey the feelings behind the gesture.

“I’ll try. I want to live my life with you, happy and together,” Sephiroth whispered against his lips and Cloud smiled even though he probably couldn’t be seen until his mate pulled away, folding his wing once again to his back as the light overhead bathed the two. The silverette returned his smile then and the blonde felt his cheeks warm when his heart fluttered a little, words like cute didn’t fit a man like Sephiroth, but that smile was too sweet. The blonde stepped away to let his mate resume making his sandwich before freezing and both stared when they beheld the smeared mayo and mustard and Cloud couldn’t fight the laugh that broke from his lips.

“I think you got some condiments on your wing, Sephiroth,” the blonde informed and his mate frowned as he pulled his wing forward enough to inspect his feathers and after a moment, found the trace smears of food with a disgruntled grunt and pout. With a sigh the silverette released the feathers and folded his wing to his back again before he grabbed up the bread slices and tossed them into the trash bin.

“Okay, do-over,” the silverette grunted.

~~~

Cloud lay on his back, struggling to sleep even though his mate was pressed to his side, head rest near his own as he curled around the blonde, though Sephiroth had intentionally kept his hands off of Cloud in concern for disturbing his healing stitches in his sleep. And honestly, the blonde couldn’t wait for the allotted days to pass so that he didn’t have to worry about hurting himself, at least his omega physiology was a benefit in this particular situation. Sephiroth’s breaths were even and deep, his wing limp and spread out haphazardly across the bed in his sleep, which was cute, though it was best never to tell his mate that. Perhaps in the near future Sephiroth would stop hating it so much. 

It was hard to sleep when he’d only been up roughly two hours, encompassing his light meal and the careful cleaning of his belly before they turned in for bed. Sephiroth still seemed very tired, and Cloud wondered if his mate had slept much at all before he’d gotten up to blow off some steam. He lifted his right arm, the limb feeling tired, but easy to lift at least. His arm was so damn thin, he didn’t think he’d seen his arm look like that since before puberty, which was about twelve. He’d wasted so much. Once he was recovered he should start a training regimen to get back into shape, and then maybe he could join his mate in mercenary work. A small smile quirked the blonde’s lips, finding delight in the idea, lifting his spirits some in imagining it. The two of them, fighting beasts, swords in hand, back to back. Though he’d have to have Sephiroth train him in swordsmanship for it to happen.

That thought in mind, the blonde wondered what he still actually remembered of his training with Zack, because at the moment he could not really recall much of anything. A frown dipped his lips slightly. He hoped that either his memory improved, or at the very least, he could live with it if only the time right before his kidnapping was fuzzy so he could remember things properly from now on. With a sigh, Cloud let his arm drop to the mattress and decided it was time to try and sleep. Letting his head relax and tilt slightly toward his mate, which put him in direct contact with his mate’s steady breaths fanning his face, and closed his eyes.

~~~~

Pain woke Cloud from a dreamless, listless sleep. Pain burned through his abdomen, feeling like someone must have taken a cheese grater to his insides and he moaned in discomfort, tensing his muscles only which only made a sharp burst of pain send a jolt through his nerves, forcing the blonde’s sleep laden mind to snap awake. Hand sliding to his belly, Cloud groaned, face twisting from the radiating pain through his healing cut, which he realized moments later was starting to give a slight itch.

“Cloud?” Sephiroth drowsy voice drifted from the blonde’s left, and Cloud moaned as he turned his face away, wanting to get up and look at himself, but the silverette was sitting up quickly and a couple seconds later the lantern light flashed on, blinding the blonde who hissed and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Is everything okay?” the silverette asked before Cloud felt a hand rest over where his right lay on his belly.

“It hurts,” the blonde grumbled, lips pursing in frustration. Did it have to hurt so fucking bad? Fuck.

“Let me get your pills,” Sephiroth said quickly, getting off the mattress and causing enough of a jostle to shake Cloud, drawing a disgruntled sound from his lips. A moment later his mate’s feet hurried around the room before rounding the mattress and dropping to his knees on the blonde’s right.

“You’ll have to use the canteen since we don’t have any glasses yet,” Sephiroth said as one hand slid beneath Cloud’s head and urged him to sit up. Pain seared all through the blonde's belly, though the epicenter down his belly was identifiable enough to make it clear where the true problem was. A moan that broke into a frustrated growl of pain squeezed from Cloud’s lips as he forced his arms back to push himself up and take the tension off his belly, and by God he thought he felt a pop or something inside him and though no pain extra accompanied it, a sudden flare of frustration and anger exploded through Cloud.

“Stop!” Cloud snapped, voice a sharp yell, and suddenly Sephiroth went still as stone. With hisses and struggling breaths the blonde managed to force himself into an upright position, eyes growing hot and wet as he struggled through the pain and sat upright.

“I’m sorry,” Sephiroth said once Cloud was upright.

“I can do it on my own, you don’t have to keep babying me. You seriously just made me hurt more,” the blonde grunted moodily as he spotted the canteen and took it from his mate, putting it between his thighs. The silverette was quick in unscrewing the locked cap and shook out two pills that he then offered palm up to Cloud who took them from him and tossed them onto his tongue. After opening up and taking a swig from the canteen, the blonde swallowed back to two small pills and tensed, still fighting through the suddenly painful soreness radiating all through his belly. It honestly felt like his intestines were on fire, though he knew they had not been touched through the procedure.

“Is there anything else you’d like? I could run to the store and grab some more pillows to prop you up,” Sephiroth offered as the blonde took in a deep breath while the silverette took the canteen from his thighs.

“I’m fine,” Cloud sighed with the release of his breath before trying to lower himself back down before a sharp stab of pain had him halting and remaining upright. His mate was hovering him then, hands extended, one behind him the other hovering overhead.

“Are you sure? Perhaps we can get something that’s easier for you to get up and down on. A twin mattress with a bed frame would work,” Sephiroth suggested and Cloud felt his irritation spark again and he almost turned a glare toward his mate, but managed to stop himself.

“I’m tired, and I’m hurting. And I don’t want you to go to the trouble. I don’t want to even think about anything right now,” Cloud grumbled.

“Just give me a sec, or I can sit here until the meds kick in and go back to sleep,” the blonde said in another heavy breath.

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind-”

“No! Stop babying me! Just, just leave me alone! I can handle this without you doing anything!” Cloud snapped before nearly wheezing when his belly contracted and pain blazed through him for a moment before it faded. After a few drawn out moments, the blonde carefully lowered himself back down and succeeded into settling onto his back.

“How bad is it?” Sephiroth asked, voice tense.

“What? My pain? I don’t know, I don’t care. I just… want to be left alone right now. If it’s bad or doesn’t go away, I’ll tell you, okay? So you can stop constantly worrying about me. It makes me feel pathetic,” Cloud griped as he turned his face away and stared at the far wall. Sephiroth meant well, he knew that. But dammit, the man was fussing over him so much it was honestly more trouble than it was help.

“I get you wanna help me. But I don’t have to be helped all the time. Just let me have some space, I’ll call you if I need you,” Cloud muttered, anger dissipating until only the frustration remained. It was silent for a long moment before finally, he heard the sounds of his mate moving.

“Please try to relax and get some rest, Cloud,” Sephiroth stated before the blonde listened to the sound of his mate walking away. And so Cloud remained on his back, tension in his body despite the exhaustion that weighed heavy in his body and mind. Perhaps he’d been too hard on the silverette, and as the minutes ticked by, the blonde couldn’t help but think that perhaps he had been a little mean. But! Sephiroth was always trying to do everything! Always fussing about his health, his safety, everything! And while it made sense, it was so fucking annoying sometimes!

Couldn’t he just exist and maybe have things be a little less perfect, a little less safe once in a while? Bitterness and regret welled up in Cloud then and he blinked back the building heat in his eyes. Sephiroth only meant well, and it didn’t sound like he took to the blonde’s words very well. Remorse swept through the blonde and he sighed again. He needed to sleep. Once he got some sleep and wasn’t hurting, maybe he could apologize properly to the silverette. And so Cloud closed his eyes and tried to focus on sleep. And after some frustration and nearly an hour of trying, he finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

And when he woke, the blonde realized he was alone in bed, lacking the heat and scent of his mate, and lonely, which spun Cloud into a wave of heavy-hearted depression he hadn’t expected. From there the days spiraled into dreamless sleep, regret over his words to Sephiroth and his inability to speak to him properly for he feared crying like a child, and stress fussing in his own mind over his prospects of fertility and the fetus he’d left behind, all blurring together as if he were in a fever dream. Cloud woke often to small meals that he ignored off and on, especially when he was feeling too sore or too moody to even bother touching anything or moving. And Sephiroth, much to the blonde’s chagrin, gave him more space than he bargained, which left Cloud almost entirely alone until bedtime each day.

Guilt ate away at his heart, shame weighed his mind, and depression crushed the blonde into the mattress with each waking hour that he experienced. The only time Cloud actually got up was to wash his wound as he’d been instructed to. And it wasn’t until he got up to clean his wound one day that Cloud realized it had been long enough for him to actually get out of bed and move around like normal. He didn't even really hurt anymore, and he was pretty sure it had been at least one day since he'd had any pain meds, maybe more. There was barely any sign that he had been cut open at all, only a slight scar down his belly. Even the stitches were dissolving as they should. Again, guilt washed over him. What the fuck had he been doing for a week? Once again, he’d been acting like a selfish brat and, with a wince, he realized he had probably been a bit abusive to his own mate. He needed to apologize, and he needed to put in the same effort he had demanded of Sephiroth.

Cloud quietly made his way to the hallway and froze when he looked down and let his toes press to the smooth, polish of the floorboards. Glancing down the hall into the main living area where low light filled the space, he could see the shine across the floor and his heart clenched in the realization that Sephiroth had waxed the floor. Walking quicker he broke from the small hallway into the main room and his heart jumped in his chest. It was furnished. There was a couch facing the fireplace, a love seat to the right side of it. There was even a TV mounted to the wall above the fireplace. Cloud’s heart sank further as he walked deeper into the room, realizing a large area rug had been employed around the sitting area with the couches where a glass coffee table sat.

To his left the bay window with its large sitting spot had been set up as a comfy nook with a beautiful view of the Costa Del Sol coast. Walking up to the window, Cloud even noticed that his mate had fixed some of the issues he’d first reported and his heart twisted in frustration. Sephiroth had done everything they were supposed to do together. Looking out the window onto the balcony area of the large wrap around porch and noticed some outside seating with a small table that could be used for drinks and maybe a book. Fuck. Water stung his eyes and the blonde scrubbed his eyes before blinking it away. He’d slept all the time away while Sephiroth worked on making their new house a home.

The garage door opened, drawing Cloud’s eyes to the kitchen. He spotted his mate, dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans, wing folded to his back, carrying bags of groceries past the kitchen entryway no doubt to put the contents of the bags away. Well, he was assuming they were groceries.

“Sephiroth?” Cloud called hesitantly, intrepid as he walked over toward the kitchen and stopped at the threshold. The silverette turned quickly, surprised eyes landing on him before a smile curved his mate’s lips.

“Hello. Are you feeling better today?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I handled this chapter okay. I didn't want to drag out Cloud's recovery for chapters so I took a more time skip type of approach while describing Cloud's emotional state through his surgical recovery. Now they just need to address the last bits of this mess, soothe their wounds, and move forward.


	10. Confirmation of The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Cloud make up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I very much apologize for this taking so long. I was supposed to have it up two weeks ago now. But, I fractured my toe nearly half way through the bone and got put on bed rest. But, it's doing better, and it helps a lot to have the not bending shoe thing, so I was finally able to finish my chapter on my computer! Only the last couple days have I actually been able to spend any significant time at my computer without having to give up. DX lol Anyway, it's done and up! Yay!
> 
> Not much to say here for this chapter, it's just Sephiroth and Cloud making up and reaffirming their love for one another. Next chapter officially moves on, no more loose ends here for this part, at least nothing that will dedicate a whole chapter. In fact, I can only think of one conversation they need to have, but that will be while other things are being done. Like finishing the house! And Cloud beginning the journey to get back into fighting shape! ^_^
> 
> I really hope everyone who reads enjoys! I tried to catch any issues in the chapter, but I may... have been a teensy bit hasty in wanting to get this chapter out after it's super long delay.
> 
> Also! Also! Almost forgot! I added about a page and a half of stuff to the previous chapter! After some discussions and me not being happy with how I went about a certain segment, I went back and added more details, playing out a scene I had glossed over for brevity because I was worrying about boring people with something that was maybe taking too long. But, I found a happy medium I think, and so there's more to read in the last chapter if anyone would like to check it out! It's just a detailing of the fight between Sephiroth and Cloud mentioned in the last chapter that has now been written out. It's not required, but some people may like to read it, so I wanted to inform everyone.

Cloud stared, lips parting in a soft breath as a sudden wave of pressure both weighed and fluttered his chest as he blinked back the warmth building in his eyes. 

“Cloud?” Sephiroth asked as he stepped from the counter up to the blonde and bent down to be closer to eye level with his mate while Cloud looked away and took in a deep breath to quell the sudden and unwanted surge of emotion gripping him.

“I’m sorry, for being such a dick,” Cloud grunted and a soft smile curved the silverette’s lips again as he lifted his left hand and cupped the cheek turned toward him, prompting blue eyes to finally look him in the face.

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it quite the way you said it. I was being overbearing. And I’m afraid I don’t know much about having a good bedside manner, or caring for someone either,” Sephiroth informed and a look of guilt pinched into the blonde’s face as his gaze briefly bounced to the floor and then back up to his mate’s face.

“Still shouldn’t have said that awful shit to you. I think being in pain on top of everything else just made me really snappy. But even if I’m in a bad mood, I shouldn’t say such awful things. So, I’m sorry. And I promise I won’t be such a dick in the future,” Cloud declared and a soft hum came from his mate as he stood to his full height, still smiling warmly down at his mate.

“We shall see. It’s a tall order to keep such promises. But, I’m glad that you feel better, and hearing your apology is enough for me,” Sephiroth said and the blonde grimaced a little, somewhat unsatisfied that he was being let off so easy. The silverette turned from him then and began rifling through bags where he pulled out frozen vegetables, meat, and others things before he turned to the fridge behind him in the narrow kitchen and began fitting them into spots.

“You plan on cooking? Like, actual cooking?” Cloud asked as he patted his stomach, still lightly feeling the remains of his dissolving stitches beneath his thin white t-shirt since he’d removed his bandages.

“I’ll have you know that after mastering the grilled cheese, I am ready to master all,” Sephiroth said with a soft, humorous lilt to his voice and a smile cracked the blonde’s lips.

“I do remember grilled cheese I think,” Cloud said while thinking back to his week that had just ghosted by him without his realizing the time.

“Well, I didn’t know what else to make you. It sounded easy, though admittedly, I burned quite a few. I didn’t realize butter could burn so easy, but I thought it tasted better than oil, so I persevered,” the silverette informed and a chuckle passed the blonde’s lips.

“The trick is how high the flame is, and if the pan is hot enough when you start,” Cloud informed and Sephiroth affirmed with a nod and hum.

“As I learned,” his mate said as he returned to his bags, pulling out more food items such as milk and putting that away before removing food cans and even a coffee tin.

“Care to show off your grilled cheese skills then? I only really nibbled, and it was when they were cold and soggy,” Cloud said and Sephiroth turned a pleased smile toward him.

“It will knock your socks off,” his mate declared and another laugh escaped the blonde as he leaned against the counter and watched while the silverette finished putting a box of cereal away and then went into the fridge to grab the butter and cheese before grabbing the bread from a cupboard.

“Do a good job and you might knock my over-sized sweat pants off,” Cloud joked and the silverette paused before casting a sidelong smirk at the blonde as he put the bread down and opened the bag.

“Oh? I’m really motivated now,” he said with a low, flirtatious rumble to his voice as he pulled out two slices of bread and grabbed a plate with his other hand to place the slices down on. Cloud fell silent as he watched his mate turned a burner on, placed down a pan, dropped some dabs of butter, and put the sandwich together on the plate. 

“I briefly had the thought that it was the same sandwich every day,” the blonde said and Sephiroth gave a hum.

“No, I ate what you didn’t everyday. I did make sure you were asleep when I delivered though because I didn’t want to disturb you,” the silverette informed. Cloud smiled slightly, but said nothing more as his mate put the sandwich into the pan and grabbed a spatula from the wrack on the wall behind the stove and turned a smile to Cloud. While the one in the pan sizzled away Sephiroth put together another, flipped the sandwich to reveal a crispy, golden brown crust and put the cheese, butter, and bread away before he returned to the pan. Once it was finished Sephiroth re-seasoned the pan with butter and cooked the second, and Cloud smiled as he watched his mate pull out a paper plate from somewhere on his side of the counter and placed it on front of him before sliding the spatula beneath the sandwich and placing it down before turning the flame off and resting the spatula down on the edge of the pan.

“Well, would you like a drink?” the silverette asked and Cloud nodded as his mate turned to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. 

“Now that you’re up, we can go shopping for eating-ware,” Sephiroth informed as the blonde took the second water held between his mate’s fingers and grabbed his plate before he turned and froze when he spotted a small square kitchen table pushed into the corner of the kitchen in front of the garage door. It made for a tight fit with their long and narrow kitchen and the two chairs tucked into the open slots.

“I wasn’t sure if you would like it. The table is tarnished and I hadn’t had time to try to see if I could refinish it. So, I took out the middle leaves and stuck it here for extra counter space primarily,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud felt his eyes grow warm for a second as he walked over, pulled a chair out and sat down with his mate settling to his right with his back to the garage door.

“So, it gets bigger? We could put it in the big open space between the living area and reading nook you made,” Cloud suggested.

“Or, perhaps by the window on the right side of the room from the front door, and leave us that big open space to use for whatever we wish,” Sephiroth suggested and the blonde paused in thought. There was a lot of room on that side of the house since there were no doors or and just a window, the furniture was all around the fireplace. Speaking…

“Sephiroth? Won’t it be too hot for the TV there?” Cloud asked and the silverette paused before taking a bite.

“I did think of that. Which is why the TV is mounted as high as it is from the mantel. But our options are limited unless we want to block a window,” Sephiroth asserted and the blonde frowned. 

“You have a point. Well, I guess we can try it out and hopefully the TV will handle it,” Cloud decided.

“It did pick a TV that the woman I asked about that very subject suggested I get. I suppose it should handle heat better, and if we keep our fires smaller, perhaps they won’t get hot enough to pose a real threat,” the silverette explained. Cloud smiled and nodded with a small chuckle.

“I wish I could have helped. But everything looks great,” the blonde said. “You didn’t do anything in the bedroom though, I guess cuz I was sleeping there,” he added and finally took a bite. Buttery sweet, cheesy, crunchy, and of course, oily.

“I thought it best to let you rest. Besides, I think that since I made decisions on the living area, you should get to choose whatever you want for our bedroom,” Sephiroth informed and his mate smirked.

“Pink princess bed. I want the curtains, canopy top, silk sheets, matching furniture, the whole nine yards,” the blonde declared and the silverette chuckled.

“Done. Though we might have to order it online,” Sephiroth said and Cloud laughed.

“Oh, yeah?” the blonde challenged.

“Yes. If you want the sleep like a princess, then you shall sleep like a princess,” the silverette declared openly. A brief moment of silence passed between the two and Cloud broke into a laugh.

“Okay, fine. I don’t want a princess bed. Something simple is more than good for me,” the blonde said in defeat and Sephiroth chuckled.

“Are you sure? Because I will get it if it’s what you want,” his mate informed and Cloud shook his head.

“No. Besides, I don’t want you spending all the extra money if we don’t have to. We have no income source right now. So, we can go maybe wherever you got this table?” the blonde asked.

“I got it at a very nice thrift store that also doubled as an antique shop,” Sephiroth answered before motioning with his head over his shoulder toward the garage door behind him. “The rest of the chairs are in the garage. This table actually gets quite big, though for us I think having it like this works,” he added and Cloud nodded.

“Yeah,” the blonde agreed before taking another bite and smiling right before the silverette leaned forward and caught him off guard in kissing him on the lips with a pair of butter and cheese greasy lips.

“Did my grilled cheese skills knock your pants off?” Sephiroth asked as Cloud’s cheeks grew a bit hot and an embarrassed smile forced its way onto his lips.

“Greasy,” he muttered and his mate gave an amused huff through his nose as he leaned back and sat properly in his seat. The two settled into eating their small meal, all the while playing what turned into a game of tag with their eyes. It was honestly Cloud’s fault, looking at his mate and admiring without thought how handsome he looked even doing some as benign as chewing, but as soon as his mate looked at him he jerked his eyes to his sandwich. A moment later, he looked up to only to swear Sephiroth had decided to become overly interested in his sandwich. 

Stuffing the last bite into his mouth and unceremoniously wiping his hands on his pants, Cloud smiled to himself as he watched his mate lick his fingers after finishing his own meal, finding his heart skip a beat at watching what almost had to be an intentional action. Why did he feel like a shy virgin again? Like he’d suddenly gone back in time to what he remembered of how he was before he’d been suckered into Omega Square. Standing up Cloud stepped away from his chair and pushed it in before walking the couple steps to his mate’s side, and the silverette smirked even as he remained facing forward in his seat, staring at the wall, daring him to make a move. The look on his mate’s face was becoming downright cheeky as he cast a sidelong glance at him and held his gaze, but refused to move or say anything. Cloud felt some warmth in his cheeks again and he smirked as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, intending to rip it off when he remember the thinness of his frame and the remains of his stitches. He stuttered for a moment, second guessing himself as his confidence suddenly took a hit. 

The blonde shook himself of it though and decided to work around it by turning his back to his mate. He could be coy too, and honestly, wouldn’t he realistically be the more shy one anyway? Grabbing the sides of his shirt, Cloud slid the material up his back, and though he lacked the defined shape he’d built up from his years of conditioning, he knew the sight of his skin should still be just as enticing, especially considering the warmth enveloping his crotch with his waking dick as he let the shirt fall over the back of the chair he’d sat in. The chair behind him creaked and Cloud smirked to himself in victory as he walked forward into the living room while making a clear show of going for the drawstrings of his sleep pants which hung low on his hips, pulling them loose and then catching the waistband as he walked across the living area toward the hall, and within moments he heard his mate’s boots behind him. His heart beat harder in his chest, warming his blood as he felt his cock swell, trapped against his inner thigh thanks to his boxers as he made his way down the hall and through the open door to their bedroom where their mattress rest on the floor.

He let the pants drop at his feet and stepped out of them, listening with a flutter in his heart when the sound of boots being dropped filled the air followed by the rustling of clothing as the strong smell of arousal searched him out from behind. Within a moment he felt the presence of his mate at his back before the ghost of his breath in his hair, followed by a pair of hands on his hips. Hair brushed and slid down his back as his mate’s breath moved and tickled his left ear.

“You’re hips are wider,” Sephiroth purred as he gave them a squeeze and Cloud took in an unsteady breath as he bit back a groan. His heart pounded absolutely maddeningly as he allowed himself to tilt his head, exposing one of his bond marks to his mate and he heard a low, rumbling sound emit from the man before those puff of breaths caressed the side of his sensitive mark and his cock stiffened entirely as his ass wet while a shudder ran through his body.

“Kinda funny since I can’t do vaginal birth,” Cloud breathed and a low, sexual hum came from his mate before a tender touch of lips pressed to his bond mark, sending bolt up sensation straight up into his brain as delightful sparks spidered all through his neck and down his spine, eliciting a short moan from the back of the blonde’s throat.

“True, but you still carry young, and the hormones will have the same affect on your body, though I believe they’ll narrow again within a year,” Sephiroth whispered, lips brushing against the side of Cloud’s neck each time they moved and the blonde moaned, absolutely hard and aching, and growing rapidly more wet. 

“I can smell your arousal, Cloud,” his mate purred in lust, though the blonde could detect the growing rumble of a growl.

“You too,” Cloud declared, voice growing thicker, and the smell of his mate’s lust spiked, and for a moment the blonde was nearly dizzy as those hands and his mate’s wing suddenly enveloped him and he was pulled, hard and flush against the silverette’s clothed body. Sephiroth’s hard cock pressed hard against his ass as his feet lifted from the floor and the silky fibers of his mate’s wing brushed over his skin.

“You are mine, all mine,” the silverette growled and a strong pulse of arousal bolted through Cloud’s dick, making him even more wet as he allowed himself to be swallowed by his mate before he was settled back onto his feet and the two walked the couple paces to the mattress. Sephiroth’s left hand broke free from his bodily hold of his mate before grabbing Cloud’s boxers and tugging them until they made it over the blonde’s swollen dick, revealing the flushed, engorged organ with a bounce before they fell down at his feet. Cloud’s breath hitched, arousal pulsing hotter when his mate immediately grabbed hold of his dick and gave him a squeeze before rubbing at the flushed, glistening wet head. 

A loud, throaty moan broke from the blonde’s throat as his head fell back and hit Sephiroth’s chest, at which his mate stepped back and leaned down over him, hair tumbling down over his shoulders and chest as Cloud tilted his head back until his lips received a kiss. It was somewhat awkward, his nose was simply in the way, but still their lips met, chaste and full of affection as his mate gave the blonde’s cock a stroke that drew a low, breathy groan of pleasure from him. Lifting one hand, Cloud put his palm to the back of his mate’s neck and when they broke lips made a declaration of his own.

“And you are mine,” he declared and something of a primal sound, a growl or moan, Cloud wasn’t sure, issued from Sephiroth before his hands left him and the silverette stepped back. Cloud righted his head and turned to look at his mate as he struggled to get his unbuttoned pants off his legs, revealing his thick, heavy headed cock crowned in silvery curls that crawled up his slim, muscled abdomen to his belly button. Finally nude from the waist down he fixed Cloud with a gaze of intense want as he stepped up the blonde and grabbed him, pulling their bodies close once again. Cloud’s eyes drifted down to the collar of his mate’s shirt and smirked as he quickly began working the buttons loose, exposing the impressive muscular swell of his chest and the hard definition of upper torso.

“I’m not fighting with it,” Sephiroth growled in warning and Cloud smiled when he finished and the shirt was open, allowing his palms to roam up over the ridges of his mate’s heaving muscles, over the firmness of his chest, up the sides of his strong neck to the sides of his face where he cupped his cheeks.

“That’s okay, having your shirt open like that is sexy,” Cloud declared as he took some liberty and pressed himself against his mate’s thigh, which in turn pressed Sephiroth’s flushed, swollen cock against his pubis, and both of their breaths stuttered in pleasure. His mate’s hands went into action, one burying into the back of the blonde’s spiky hair as the other wrapped securely around his back. Their mouth smashed together passionately, lips parting and sealing together as tongues met in an aggressive dance as Sephiroth’s wing curled around the blonde before he was hefted by one powerful arm until he was off his feet. 

Cloud’s hands clung to the silverette’s neck while he lifted his legs around his mate’s waist as he was carried onto the bed and then grunted when they more or less dropped when Sephiroth lowered to his knees. Breath puffing hard through their noses with the growing heat already starting a mist sweat over their bodies, Cloud found himself being tilted back until his mate’s wing pulled away and his back hit the mattress with the silverette in tow. Tightening his legs around Sephiroth, the blonde ground his hips against his mate, rubbing hard dick against the silverette’s lower abdomen while feeling the straining flesh of his mate between the cheeks of his ass. A growl spilled into the blonde’s mouth, Sephiroth’s breath puffing harder against his face before finally the silverette relented and broke the kiss to stare down at him. Their gazes locked, mako infused blue eyes hazy with lust while the slitted pupils of jade green flared bright, the usual splits widened in his Sephiroth’s excitement. 

Cloud allowed his legs to fall from Sephiroth’s waist as his mate sat back, grabbed his legs and smirked as he leaned down and pressed his lips to the inside of the blonde’s left thigh near his knee before placing a trail of butterfly kisses down toward his groin and Cloud’s breath hitched, his cock twitching in anticipation. Those soft lips continued up to his hips before moving across his abdomen, only pausing just enough to avoid the remains of his stitches before his mate lowered and caught the flushed wet head of Cloud’s cock and sucked it into his mouth. The blonde’s back twitched, muscles tightening as a powerful hum of pleasure traveled through his cock to his balls to the pit of his belly as he was sucked skillfully and deep into his mate’s throat before a confident tongue rubbed at the prominent vein that ran along the underside, sending waves of pleasure all through Cloud’s body. Sephiroth strongly sucked back to the tip of the blonde’s dick before lavishing the leaking slit with a diligent tongue, drawing hard, stuttered breaths broken with small little grunts of pleasure. 

Pleasure blared hot through the blonde as wetness grew on the mattress beneath him and his hips twitched, birthing the damnable, but expected ache deep inside him that demanded he be satisfied, made full. The silverette bobbed his head back down, sucking him deep and hard before his sucking lips slid back tightly to the top, setting into a rhythm as his hair spilled forward more and more until Cloud was bathed in silvery streams. The blonde’s full, kiss flushed and swollen lips broke open in loud, desperate pants as his hips twitched, eager to thrust, drowning and yet unsatisfied until his breath caught in a gasp of surprise when he felt Sephiroth’s left hand move before the sensation of a finger brushed between the wet cheeks of his ass to his sphincter. 

The strong, bony digit found the puckered entrance quickly and easily pushed through the twitching muscles, and a groan passed from Cloud’s lips as his mate sucked back down and then up again as the digit plunged deep into his soaked hole before crooking and rubbing up against his prostate, sending a powerful force capable of bowing the blonde’s back as his head pushed back into the mattress in pleasure. Hands grabbed as the mattress, frustratingly finding nothing to hold as the digit thrust back and forth, making sure to stimulate the bundle of nerves at random intervals and Cloud finally broke into a loud, low moan.

“S-Sephiroth!” the blonde gasped as his hand finally jerked down to his mate’s hair and grabbed hold before pulling, not hard, but incessantly until Sephiroth pulled his head up from his mate’s cock, which he released with a pop while he pulled his finger free to gaze down at his sweaty, flushed, and galvanized mate.

“No more teasing,” Cloud grunted and a smile curved the silverette’s lips before he leaned down and gave the blonde a kiss to his lips before he sat back and pulled his mate’s ass more onto his thighs. Cupping Cloud’s ass and wrapping one arm beneath his mate’s upper back, he pulled the blonde up into his lap while his mate grabbed hold of him and helped with the move. Once on his knees on either side of Sephiroth’s lap, they shared another kiss before they broke apart with a pant.

“I don’t want to just bend you this way and that just yet. Do you think this position will be good?” the silverette asked and Cloud nodded, uncaring what position his mate wanted so long as he got what he needed, and so with his hands on Sephiroth’s shoulders, Cloud lifted up. Sephiroth’s left hand slid down beneath the blonde and grabbed his cock to aim it up while his right hand grabbed his mate’s hip to help stabilize him. 

“Ready?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud gave a breathy nod before he took in a deep breath and lowered, releasing the breath slowly when he felt his mate’s dick press against his hole. He allowed himself to settle down, pushing the swollen head through the slick muscles of his sphincter and spread him open wider around his mate’s prick until he could finally, at long last, take a seat on the base of Sephiroth’s cock. Sephiroth’s hands trembled as they wrapped around Cloud while the silverette pulled the blonde close before settling into a cross legged position, after which Cloud pushed his legs out fully behind his mate.

“I love you,” Sephiroth whispered in a constrained voice as he pressed his head against the side of his mate’s in a nuzzling manner, and Cloud nudged against the silverette’s, breath recovering from the intrusion. Once the tender moment passed, Sephiroth straightened up and slid both of his hands to grab hold of one fleshy globe of his mate’s ass in each while Cloud wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck again, eager, cock heavy and aching in want as that spot inside him thrummed, eager for friction. 

Sephiroth’s powerful arms hefted him up, sliding the blonde’s tight, twitching hole up his cock with a low, breathy groan as a low, oozy sound passed from Cloud’s lips when his prostate was rubbed against. The silverette then allowed his mate to slide back down, drawing forth shudders and grunts of pleasure from the two before picking him up again, faster. A rhythm was set, entirely in Sephiroth’s control as he pulled and pushed Cloud up and down his cock with increasing speed, striking and rubbing pleasure into both of them with each move that tore low, pleasure drowned sounds that eventually gave way to hard pants of breath as sweat slid down their bodies. Cloud’s arms shook in strain, eager but lacking the stamina he’d had before he’d been taken away, but the friction of his dick rubbing against his mate’s belly and the powerful rubs against his sweet spot encouraged his hold to tighten as he attempted to help in pulling his body upward faster. 

Encouraged, Sephiroth pulled on Cloud harder, faster, increasing the pace, striking sharp, constant waves of pleasure through the blonde, forcing the inferno in his lower belly and balls to climb higher and higher as his knees bent, toes curling with the tightening build of orgasm. Breaths grew louder, more ragged as they broke into the air and into one another’s ears as primal, bestial zeal encouraged the silverette to move Cloud faster, more urgently up and down his cock as orgasm built up tighter, hotter inside until Cloud, unable to withstand the friction against his cock and the constant rub of his prostate gave a loud, guttural cry when his body tightened, muscles tensing as the tight thread of orgasm snapped and cum spurted heavy and thick, leaving a messy, dripping smear on his mate’s belly. Tight, quivering muscles clenched Sephiroth’s twitching cock, tearing a low, strained moan from the man’s tense lips as he struggled to yank his mate up one more time before pulling him down with a grunt right before he tensed, hunching over Cloud’s shoulder as he came, thick and heavy into his mate’s quivering, clenching hole. 

The moments ticked by as the two gasped in breaths to calm the hard flutter of their hearts until their muscles finally slackened, relaxing into a quivering, taxed, loose mess. Cloud sagged against his mate’s shoulder, arms falling limp as his sides as the silverette’s arms lifted up and wrapped around his mate while his head settled on top of the blonde’s sweaty, spiky blonde hair before he rocked gently from side to side as his wing, without thought, curled around his mate’s back.

“I love you,” Sephiroth breathed gently, affectionately, and a powerful, warm flutter filled Cloud’s chest.

“I love you too. Gaia, I’m really lucky to have you,” the blonde said in a breathy voice as he adjusted his head’s position, prompting his mate to lift his head for a moment before it settled back on top of his. The silverette’s hands began to move, rubbing up and down his mate’s sweat soaked back.

“Mm… Can we agree to feel the same, then?” Sephiroth asked, a tired, but still affectionate tone to his voice. A smile curved Cloud’s lips.

“Yeah.”


End file.
